Transformations
by J-Z-Banana
Summary: Times change, people change too. Follow our hero as he embarks on a new adventure of love, hate, pride, and the past, making new friends and enemies along the way. First FanFic, CloTi, Post AC, please R&R. *Revised Summary*
1. Opening Act

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Square Enix.**

This is my very first Fanfiction. Please read and review, all constructive comments are welcome!  
Please note that each chapter is a full day in the eyes of Cloud Strife.

'_Thoughts Cloud says to himself. Can also be flashblacks.'_

'Real-time dialogue.' And the rest are his thoughts, actions, and perceptions.

Enjoy ~

Transformations – Opening Act

'_This feels good.'_

I close my eyes, gladly accepting this gift from above.

'_Bad Idea.'_

Thank goodness for heightened senses. My right foot slides across the pavement as I instinctively turn on the brakes. I find myself spinning uncontrollably, tilted towards the ground at a dangerous level. Regaining control, I screech (very loudly I might add) to a halt. Looking back, I spot some dark skid marks on the asphalt, though it's hard to tell due to the heavy rain. Any average biker would've gotten hurt after that ordeal.

'_Maybe I shouldn't close my eyes while driving?'_

I laugh at the thought; how could I be so stupid? Average biker or not, it was a stupid thing to do. I can already imagine the lecture she's going to give me once she sees the scratches on Fenrir. Heck, I can already hear her voice and see her wagging her finger at me in that concerned and playful way she does. Hehe…

Come to think of it, I've been spacing out a lot lately. She's been on my mind a lot lately too...Tifa. Ever since that day at the church, after the Geostigma healings…we've been getting closer. I can still remember that wonderful smile on her face, and that look she gave me after I healed Denzel. Zack and Aerith were there too. After they walked out that door, my eyes just landed on Tifa's. She was smiling at me, and I was smiling back; my first genuine smile in a long time. I think something changed inside me then. Scratch that, I think a part of me opened up right then and there the moment we made eye contact and just stood there, smiling and taking each other in.

Maybe that's what's on my mind. Maybe I'm trying to meet that new part of me. I lift up my sleeve and check the time. Wow, I've spent the past 5 minutes just thinking to myself. I wince a little bit as the heavy rain soaks me through to the bone. My right foot is in pain; that's what happens when you drag it some 20 meters. With some difficulty, I turn Fenrir on its heels, and head back towards home. The rest of the slow ride is spent in silent thought. I'd rather hear the thunder talk. As if on cue, a flash of blue strikes in the far distance, and after a few seconds, the thunder roars in. I take it as some kind of sign.

'_I guess I should hurry. I don't want Tifa lecturing me again.'_

I can't help but smile.

xxxxx

It was just before 7 before I got back to the bar. First delivery after saving the world, and I'm home on time. I must be doing something right for a change. How did I get home on time anyway? It was raining hard and…oh forget it. I'll end up being late if I keep letting my thoughts wander. I'm here on time, I should make the best of it. I head into the garage, and place Fenrir in its usual position. I'm hoping Tifa doesn't see the scratches before I get it fixed. The rain had stopped a while ago, and my clothes weren't dripping wet anymore. I remove my jacket, which took most of the soaking, and put it off to the side.

Heading towards the door, I'm surprised when it's opened for me. It was a short, balding man – one of the regulars here. It saddens me that I forgot his name; he wasn't one of those guys who constantly tried to hit on Tifa. He was one of the guys who knew where to get good food and drink. I acknowledge his presence with a nod, and he gives me a short bow. I raise my brow in surprise – wasn't really expecting that. But then again, I did save the world. Smiling, I pat him on the shoulder, and close the door quietly after him.

Tifa hasn't noticed me yet. She's at the sink quietly washing dishes and humming a tune. The bar is empty, save for a couple of empty beer mugs that Tifa probably forgot about in a corner table. Other than that, everything is neat and orderly. It's just about closing time anyway. Speaking of which…

I turn back around, facing the door. I turn over the sign, officially 'closing' the bar. I've put her through a lot, the least I could do is help out around the house. Actually, I never formally apologized to her yet. Glancing at my watch, 7:07pm, I quietly head towards the empty beer mugs. We've got some time before 8 o'clock dinner, maybe I'll just go and talk to her.

That's strange; where did this sudden resolve come from? I'm usually terrible with words, but why is it that I wanna talk to her all of a sudden? Man, something weird is happening to me. Well it can't be too weird, especially if I'm smiling. I think I'm changing in a good way. Why don't I do what I was just about to do and not stand around here spacing out? Tifa's reaction should tell me if I'm changing in a good way.

I quietly grab the beer mugs, peering at Tifa; she continues to wash dishes and hum to herself. How I love the sound of her voice. I can't help but smile as I place the mugs on the counter with some force, effectively making my presence known. My smile grows larger as she jumps, obviously surprised, and stares at me. Her reddish-brown eyes seem to glow. I can see my reflection in them as clearly as the glass that just fell out of her hand. It pleases me to know that I caught it. Hah! She turns around quickly, fumbling in a way. Is that a blush? I turn away from my thoughts, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks also. She turns again and faces me, all smiles. I smile back, and hand her the glass.

'Don't drop it again,' I tell her the moment she grabs hold of it. She jumps again in surprise, but did not drop the glass this time. Is it really that surprising for me to come early?

'You're home early,' she reads my mind. Her sheepish and slightly embarrassed smile draws a laugh from me.

'Really? I thought I was late as usual.'

'Well, you're not.' Her smile gets slightly bigger.

'Yeah. Is that a good thing?'

'A very good thing.' Now she can't help but grin.

'You know what would be better? Getting these dishes done.' Rolling up my sleeves, I step closer to her. The warmth seems to radiate from her skin, tempting to touch.

'Cloud, I can handle them on my own I think.'

'But I wanna help you.' My comment raises her brow, and her smile.

'Feeling like a gentleman today?' she teases me.

'I'm no gentleman, not even close.'

'I think you're close enough.'

'I'd like to be closer.' With that, I wrap my left elbow around her right, and grab the plate she was holding. Our hands brush for a second – I wish it could have been longer. Wait, what am I saying? I shake out of my reverie, noticing that Tifa has gone red as a tomato. I can't help but laugh, and I send a sprinkle of water her way.

'Cloud! We're never gonna get these dishes done,' she says to me, spraying some cold water back at me.

'I wash, you wipe.'

'But I'm already washing…'

'Or, I can just leave and let you do everything.' I see the 'O' shape form around her mouth, and I make a movement to leave. But I don't of course, why would I? I turn back to her, receiving a warning glare. I take a dish with red stains – seems she served pasta earlier – and her glare turns into a smile.

'Did you have a really good day today Cloud? You're acting awfully different.'

'Maybe if you start wiping, I can tell you all about my day,' I give her a grin as I hold up the finished plate, waiting to be wiped. She laughs heartily, music to my ears.

'Okay,' she beams at me. I beam right back.

xxxxx

The dishes only took about 5 minutes. There weren't too many anyway.

'So what'd you want to talk about?' Tifa asks as we make our way to a nearby table. I stare at the table's surface, admiring its cleanliness and its polished shine. I'm turning back into my old self as I stare off into space; I can't seem to formulate any sentences properly.

'Cloud, you okay?' Her eyes wander into mine; it's as if she's searching for something. I still can't form any proper sentences.

'Umm…' my silence only makes me redder than need be. She stifles a giggle, but I catch something in her eyes. They seemed farther away than they were earlier. Was that sadness, disappointment? Oh, yeah. I was making so much progress earlier! Does she think that I'm going to be that ghost of an idiot I was a month ago? I take a deep breath, and collect my thoughts.

'_I'm not going back there again. I want to move forward.'_

'I'm sorry.'

'W-What?' She stares into me again, trying to make sense of what I just said. Maybe I shouldn't have said it too quickly.

'I'm sorry Tifa. I'm sorry for everything. I was such an idiot, and I know that it hurt you.' Her eyes are no longer searching; they've regained that glow. A smile tugs at her lips. Her lips…

'Cloud,' she states after a sigh, closing her eyes and smiling. She shakes her head, more to herself I think. Her hair sways gently with her movement, a few strands falling in front of her face. She moves the strands away, her smooth hands in delicate motion. She opens her eyes, landing them on mine. Her eyes are softer, and stare straight into my soul. Beautiful.

'It's okay.' Not the response I expected. I obviously let it show on my face, since she giggles at my bewilderment.

'What?' she asks incredulously.

'No, it's not okay. For months I pushed you away. I was being selfish and stupid, and neglecting you. I was consumed by guilt, and I let it take over me. I don't think I can ever repay you for always being there for me.'

'You already have.'

'_What? How?'_ My thoughts must have been written all over my face.

'You've done enough by admitting to it,' she smiles warmly at me.

'But – '

'I know you've thought this through Cloud, and I'm glad you did. I'll save you the trouble.' I don't think my eyebrow can go any higher than this. How could she forgive me so easily?

'I forgive you Cloud.' I didn't notice that her hand was on mine until now. She tightens her grip, and all I can do is stare. I look up at her, and she's looking away from me, a light blush on her cheeks. I'm glad she is, I'm getting flushed too. I continue looking into her eyes as I tighten my grip in response.

We let our eyes do all the talking now. The soft glow of the reddish brown intrigues me to no end. I'm sure my Mako blue does the same for her, cause she doesn't let up. How long has it been? A minute? Ten minutes? Who knows.

I'm glad and disappointed when loud footsteps break us out of our moment. Disappointed that I had to look away, but glad for whom it was for. Denzel and Marlene are running straight at me. I prepared myself for a tackle, but was surprised nonetheless. Marlene is pretty good at tackling me. I fell off my chair, attracting a worried look from Tifa. I got up quickly, scratching my head in embarrassment as the young girl hugged my waist. She must be just as surprised and happy as Tifa to see me home, and early too. Denzel looks up at me shyly, a smile evident on his face. I ruffle his hair, and pull him closer to join Marlene. I move my gaze to Tifa, who can't control her smile. Gotta love it.

'Cloud! You're back early! Did something happen?' Marlene's bewilderment is good entertainment.

'Actually, I have a special delivery for you.' I pull out a small bag of candy out of my pockets; it wasn't much, but at least it had her favorite chocolates.

'Oh! Who are they from?'

'Me.' I smile and mess her hair up a bit. She squeals in delight as she hugs my waist a second time. Denzel's movement caught my attention; I'm glad I got him something too.

'Denzel, this is for you.' I pull out something sharp from my other pocket, and hand it to him carefully. His face is priceless.

'Wow! That's so cool! But, what is it?' I laugh at his reaction. He's clearly interested in it, but has no idea what it is. He's about to touch the sharp edge…

'You don't wanna touch that part Denz. Touch it carefully anyway. You're holding a dragon's fang. I stumbled across a dead dragon this morning, thought I'd take its tooth for you.'

'Awesome! There's no way I could ever kill a dragon!'

'I didn't really kill the dragon,' I explain in embarrassment.

'And who knows, maybe one day you'll be a swordsman like me, maybe even better.' Tifa gasped and looked at me dangerously. I smile sheepishly, and motion for her to relax.

'Well he might!' I added in defense.

'You better not be taking him monster hunting or anything…'

'Aw Tifa! I wanna go monster hunting with Cloud! Hey Cloud, I can go monster hunting with you right?' I'd take him with me when he's a bit older. But for now, Tifa's right.

'I'll take you when you're older and more prepared. Monster hunting is too dangerous for a kid your age. Sorry kiddo.' I ruffle his hair again, trying to ease his disappointment.

'Tell you what. I don't have deliveries till noon tomorrow. We'll go work on Fenrir together.' Denzel was immensely interested in motorcycles too. I'm glad he's smiling now.

'Yeah, that sounds great!' His stomach rumbles. So does mine. Tifa rolls her eyes, drawing giggles from everyone.

'Denzel, Marlene, why don't you two go upstairs and finish your homework? I'll call you down when dinner's ready.'

'Okay!' they exclaim in unison, storming towards the stairs.

'You too Cloud.' She smiles at me.

'I have no homework,' I grin right back.

'Very funny. You should get changed, your shirt's still a bit wet.' I blush slightly. Was she staring at my wet shirt? I entertain myself with that thought.

'I'll be back soon,' I offhandedly tell her as I remove my shirt, slowly making my way towards the steps.

'O-Okay' she says quickly. After a quick glance, I notice that she's staring at me, red as ketchup. I turn away, smiling to myself before I disappear out of her view.

'_Well played Cloud, well played.'_

_xxxxx_

It only took me about a minute to change. Seems Tifa took some time to organize my mess this morning. I should thank her right now. I softly tread down the stairs, wafting in the many wonderful aromas and spices.

'Smells nice,' I blurt out casually as I make my way towards her. Her smiling eyes land on mine, and my heart skips a beat.

'_How does she do this to me?'_

'Thank you,' her grin grows wide, clearly delighted at what I just said. I'm glad I can make her smile, even after all the things I've put her through.

'_I'll make it up to her from now on.'_

'Did you say something?' I can feel the blood rushing to my head, and small drops of sweat forming. Did I say that out loud? I attempt to make a response…

'Were you talking to yourself again Cloud?' I raise my hands in protest, and embarrassment, but I just can't think of anything to say. Man, I suck at this. Her hearty laughter is there to make me feel better at least… and her hand, lightly squeezing mine. Yeah, that did the trick.

'You can start by setting up the table, then calling the kids down. Tifa's Classic Chicken Soup awaits!' she laughed at herself and turned towards the silver pot, steaming with chicken flavored goodness. Stomach rumbling, I set up the plates as instructed; four regular plates, two regular bowls, one plastic pink bowl for Marlene, and a grayish blue bowl for Denzel, spoons included. I give Tifa a smile as my stomach roars again, and head towards the staircase.

xxxxx

I sit up from my desk, stretching my arms wide. I rub my stomach, long been satisfied of its hunger, before I make my way downstairs. The wonderful aroma of Tifa's Classic Chicken Soup still lingered here and there. Dinner was very interesting; the kids were elated to have me in for dinner, and bombarded me with their questions and comments. Tifa smiled quietly, taking her time with her bowl. She was probably taking in the moment; me being home for dinner was a rare thing, until now anyway. They say that the best things in life are the little things: being with people you care about, doing and receiving nice gestures from people, family. I internally smacked my head for being such an idiot, and missing dinner all this time. I didn't realize how happy I was with the kids; their thousand questions were a good social experience for me, and I was glad that I could share some experiences with them. Not to mention the dinner, any man would be considered insane for missing a dinner made by Tifa Lockhart herself!

'Hey,' I say casually as I take a seat on the sofa beside her. The day has clearly tired her out, as her eyes are halfway closed. The quirky, overly excited man doing the infomercials wasn't really catching her attention either.

'Finished preparing for tomorrow?' she asks in between a yawn.

'Maps are all done.'

'What are you doing still up? It's late, and don't you have to get up early tomorrow?'

'I told you, my deliveries start at noon tomorrow. Besides, I thought I'd thank you for making my room so neat.' I smile as I take her hand, and her eyes brighten. I think I've touched her in one way or another more times today than I have my entire life. At least from what I remember. Hehe.

'You've changed Cloud.'

'Not too much. But I try.' We take a minute to ourselves, just admiring each other's gaze, and the feeling of our intertwined fingers.

'You should try too. Try sleeping in your room for a change.' I nodded towards her blankets; she's been sleeping on the sofa lately.

'I got used to the sofa.'

'It's not good for your back.'

'What does it matter?' she sighs, exasperated and exhausted.

'You'll never be able to kick my butt again.' My response had her eyes dancing.

'Oh please Cloud, remember who saved you from those bullies?' A smug smile played across her face.

'Besides, I don't think I'd ever have a reason to beat you up.'

'I gave you one before, didn't I? And what If I do it again?' I shouldn't have said that. Her expression changed completely, not for the better. I have to fix this quick. Squeezing her hand tightly, I bring it up towards my chest.

'But if I do give you a reason to beat me, it won't be cause' I broke any of our promises. In fact, I want to make one right now. I promise that I won't run away again, and I'll never leave you.' Internally, I sigh in relief. I watch as her expression softens, a genuine smile sneaks onto her face, and she closes her eyes. She squeezes tighter against me.

'Help me get up the stairs then, I'll fall asleep instantly if I happen to trip.' Complying, I grip her hand with one, and wrap the other around her waist. I always wanted to do this with her, but I didn't know how. This is an excuse for me to do this I guess. I hope that one day I can hold her like this again.

We make our careful way up the stairs. I can feel her get heavier as we move upwards; I wouldn't be surprised if she's asleep already. I decide to pick her up myself, which gets her going.

'What're you doing?' she asks incredulously as she grips my arm tight. I can feel my muscles flexing where she touched them, and she moves her hand back towards her face, hiding a blush.

'I uh, thought you were asleep?' I whisper as I lower her back, allowing her to stand properly. She lowers her voice too, remembering that the kids are fast asleep.

'It's okay. Thanks Cloud.' She smiles softly, keeping her gaze away from mine. Was she waiting for something? I have a short internal conflict on what I should do.

'_It couldn't hurt to try one more new thing, would it?'_

I wrap my arms around her shoulders, bringing her head into my chest. Her body is tense at first, but she eases into me and wraps her arms around my waist. We stay like this for a minute, or an eternity, I'm not really sure. I just wish it could have been longer. I take my time to absorb the smell of her, and no doubt that she's doing the same for me. I bring her in tightly for a second, before breaking apart from her. Our hands lock once again, for a brief moment, before she softly pulls away from me and into her bedroom. There's no way I could miss the smile, and the 'Thank You' she whispered ever so softly before disappearing from view behind her door.

I head towards my bedroom, softly closing the door behind me. The room is pitch black, but it doesn't phase me; not with my heightened senses, and my uplifted spirit.

'_I made a lot of progress today.'_

I don't bother taking off my shirt. I simply fall onto the bed, and feel my consciousness fading. I'm not even sure if I landed on the pillow. Who cares?

'_My mouth is probably going to hurt when I wake up, cause this smile isn't going anywhere tonight.'_

_xxxxx_

Chapter 1 - End


	2. At Least She Likes It

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations – At Least She Likes It

'_Wow this is great.'_

I pull my blanket over my shoulders, enjoying the warmth and comfort that only a fleece fabric can bring. I haven't slept this well for a long time. Even though I've been getting more hours of sleep as of late, it never felt like _this _when I woke up_._ My body is so relaxed; it's as if I'm dead but conscious. Moving any part of my body away from this comfort seems like a daunting task. After a few more minutes of rest, I manage to open my eyes. The sight of my navy blue sheets and blankets greet me. The sun and sky say hello, while the wind casually blows the short, white curtains in a breeze. My room fills with a scent – the scent of wet road from yesterday's pouring rain.

I slowly get up, breathing in deeply. I make my way towards the window, the breeze pressing gently on my face. Momentarily, I look out towards the city, fully lit by the sun, but still covered here and there with puddles from yesterday's rain. The breeze was cold now, and I carefully shut the windows.

The weather outside was beautiful. Unfortunately, my mirror couldn't show me the same. I looked like an absolute mess. There were spikes in the wrong places and in the wrong direction, and my blond seems to have gone a shade darker. Despite my faulty appearance, I can't help but smile. I have to admit, I look pretty funny. If Marlene got a picture of this, she would be entertained for a good long while. Of course, I don't plan on taking a picture of me like this. I head inside the bathroom, looking forward to a nice, hot shower.

The shower is a really neat place. I don't think I'm alone when I say that I do a lot of thinking in the shower. In fact, I think I spend more time thinking in the shower than I do actually cleaning myself up. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't clean myself up properly. Don't get the wrong idea. I feel a bit guilty though. All that hot water I wasted while thinking...thinking about _her._ Yes, _her._ Okay, I wouldn't say the hot water was wasted. It fueled my thoughts, helped me relax. It was for a good cause – let's put it that way.

Anyhow, she hasn't left my mind since I woke up earlier. She hasn't left my mind at all since I can remember. I feel as if I've always been thinking about her. Which is the reason why I smile the moment I walk out my door.

The mouthwatering smell of her delicious blueberry pancakes is clear in the air. I hear Denzel laughing and Marlene squealing a bit, but she laughed along with Denzel and Tifa joined in on the fun.

'Tifa.' My words are soft and barely audible, only meant for myself. I must have said it by accident. Or maybe I just got used to saying her name, which is currently reverberating in my mind. Her name is like a pulse in my head as I quietly make my way down the wooden steps.

'Hah! You missed!'

'I'll get you this time -'

'Hey! The syrup is for sweetening, not for throwing at each other. Come on now,'

'I wasn't throwing it at her Tifa! I was aiming at the wall, but I have really bad aim you know? Here let me show you just how bad my aim is - '

'Denzel!' Tifa laughs and I hear her getting up from her chair. She's probably getting a towel to wipe a syrup stain on the wall. This is a pretty normal breakfast in our house.

'_Our house.'_

'I'm sorry Tifa. But your pancakes are really good! They don't even need the syrup, see?' I can hear them giggling about as I near the kitchen.

'Did somebody say pancakes?' I say rather loudly. My hand was already in front of my face before I walked into the kitchen.

'Oh man, he dodged it!' Marlene made a disappointed noise as I walked in, right hand dripping in sweet goo. I bend down to pick up the small plastic container (we used small syrup packs from the store) and throw it into the trash bin without as much as a glance. I smile at Marlene, brushing my finger over her face so as to get a little bit of syrup on her.

'Not really, you got my hand, see?' Marlene stifles a giggle as she runs towards the sink, washing her hands and rubbing them on her face. Suddenly, my entire left side starts to heat up.

Tifa's arms are wrapped around my left, and she tugs at me, pulling me towards my seat beside Denzel. I reflect her smile.

'Morning Cloud! Having breakfast with us?' She seems so eager.

'I should wash my hands first.' She complies, and I'm slightly disappointed. The warmth leaves my arms as I make my way beside Marlene at the sink. That felt almost as good as the bed this morning. The young girl sends a sprinkle of water towards me, making sure not to miss. I wince at the sudden cold, but give off a laugh as I dry my hands on a nearby towel. I squeeze Denzel's shoulder as I pass him by, drawing a grin from him.

'Hey Cloud! These pancakes are really good. You don't even need the syrup, trust me!' I look towards Tifa, who is obviously flattered by Denzel's compliments. She looks back at me, and it's clear that she wants a compliment from me too. I smile to myself.

'I guess I have to try them then.' Placing a single pancake on my plate, I make some slices, and put one in my mouth. The other slices disappeared in a second.

'Denzel was right. You DON'T need the syrup!' I was still chewing on the last slice of heavenly blueberry pancake. Tifa and Marlene are probably finding it amusing, since they're stifling their giggles. Well, Marlene mostly. Tifa is blushing, immensely flattered and deeply satisfied. She looks really cute when she's happy.

'Wow Cloud, you ate that pancake pretty fast. Almost as fast as me.' The hint of challenge was painfully obvious in Denzel's tone, and his nearly devilish grin.

'You're on, kiddo,' I reply with a grin as big. A little competition is nice. Tifa's smile is growing larger by the second; she must be really happy with me. I haven't been open like this in a long time. The kids are obviously happy too. Denzel places two steamy pancakes of goodness onto his plate, saving the last 2 for me.

'Whenever you're ready Cloud.' I cut up both my pancakes into slices, larger slices this time. I don't plan on losing.

'I'm ready…now!' And with that, I brought out my inner lion. Or pig. Whatever it is, it eats fast. I gave a burp as I chugged down the water, plate empty. Denzel still had two slices on his plate, but he was chewing rather slowly due to recent defeat.

'You should finish that quick Denz, that way we can get going to the bike shop.' His face lit up in an instant, and he continued eating with a renewed vigor. I smiled, patiently waiting.

'You missed a spot.' I feel a warm finger near my lips. I'm stunned; Tifa is gently removing a piece of pancake from the side of my lip, then placing it in her mouth. Marlene and Denzel must have been stunned too, cause' they didn't say a word, they just stared in amazement. I gazed into her eyes, and she gazed into my soul. Right now, we're lost, and I don't think either of us wants to be found. It was probably only a second or two, but it sure felt a lot longer. I feel sticky goo on a couple of my left fingers – my hand probably ended up in a syrup packet while I was spaced out. Which gives me an idea…

I move my hand up to her face, and rub a big wad of the sweet syrup near her lips.

'So did you.' I quickly turn around, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks, and head straight towards the sink.

'He got you there Tifa,' cries Marlene happily. She and Denzel are giggling heartily in their seats.

'Oh, I'll get him back later,' assures Tifa. She takes a place beside me, removing the goo from near her lips and washing her hands. Our arms lean against one another as we wash, and I slow down, feeling the heat of her skin, warmer and more comforting than my fleece blanket could ever be. I give her a playful nudge before I dry up my hands, getting a playful smile in response.

'Alright Denz, you ready?'

'Yeah! Let's go!' Denzel's young energy and enthusiasm brings out a smile from me.

'_I miss my childhood.'_

I grab my keys and head towards the door, hand-in-hand with Denzel. I take my maps on a nearby table for today's deliveries. Which reminds me…

'Tifa. I'll be doing my deliveries right after this. I'll be dropping off Denzel here, but I don't think I'll have time to come in. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you.'

'Oh.' The disappointment is evident on her face. 'That's all right. You stay safe, okay?' She smiles at me, but there was less fire in this one. Without thinking I pulled her in for an embrace.

Not a hug, an embrace. Hugs were starting to become common for us, just short ones. I never really held her for more than a couple seconds until last night, when I held her for who knows how long. The way happiness just seems to radiate from her face makes it all the more gratifying.

'I will. Take care, Tifa. Marlene, you help her around the bar later if she needs help, okay?'

'Got it!' the young girl states excitedly.

'Alright then Denzel. Let's get going. Fenrir needs a new finish.'

XxxxX

The wind feels nice against my face. The roads aren't as wet as they were yesterday. Which is good, since I'm not the only on the bike right now. I take a quick glance behind me, smiling at the sleeping Denzel. I slow down a bit; there's no need to rush, I don't want any accidents. Besides, I have a few extra minutes thanks to Denzel's hard work.

The bike shop went really well. Denzel was overjoyed and worked up about getting to work on Fenrir, and with me too I guess. We only needed to get rid of the scratches, which was simple enough. But we had lots of time to spare, so we decided to do a complete wash. It was picking up a lot of mud anyway. Denzel had worked like a dog wiping and polishing; he deserves this rest. The guys at the shop even complimented Denzel, saying things like 'Wow I wish you'd clean my bike,' and 'This should be your first job.' Of course, Denzel is far too young for a part time job. Nevertheless, he was really happy with his work.

Stopping at a red light, I looked over my beloved bike. Everything seemed to glitter and it had a distinct shine to it. Awesome. I feel a weight shifting behind me; Denzel was just beginning to wake.

'Good morning Denz.'

'Wah?' he managed to say between yawns.

'It's not morning,' he states, more or less awake now.

'Good, I was just testing you. You did a good job with the bike today. Thanks Denz.' Although I can't see his face, I know he's smiling. He relaxes his grip as Seventh Heaven comes into view. I pull to a stop near the front entrance, and he gets off giddily.

'Alright Denzel, you be good to Tifa today okay? It's Saturday, so she'll be a bit busy later. Help her out as much as you can.'

'You got it,' he makes a movement towards the door. In my head, a battle rages on.

'_Should I do it?'_

'Wait Denzel, come back for a second.' The young boy happily complies, and skips towards me. Opening a small compartment, I pull out an item, clad in plain white wrapping. I stare at it blankly, still deciding whether or not I should give it. My cheeks grow a little bit redder with each passing second.

'_I didn't plan on getting this. But I might as well.'_

'Give this to Tifa will you? If she asks who it's from…' I hesitate.

'Yeah, say it was from me okay? Maybe it'll help her while I'm gone for the day.'

'Alright Cloud, whatever you say.' He carefully grabs the item, holding it by the stem, and disappears behind the front door. I glance at my watch: 11:46 am.

'I should get going. My customer said 12 noon.' Fenrir's engines roar, and I'm off.

XxxxX

'Oh, Mr. Strife! Just in time too. Here's the package. Please get it to my brother in Kalm as quick as you can! Thank you.' This man was…weird to say the least. The way he talks is weird, and the way he looks at me, ugh! I think I'll question his sexuality. But, a customer's a customer, and his brother awaits this relatively small package. I just hope his brother isn't weird like him.

'Here's your gil, as promised sir.' He handed me the gil, and I took it carefully so as to not touch his hand. I don't know what this guy will pull.

'My brother will pay you the rest. Thanks again! This is a really important package ya know?'

'I understand. I'll get going now.' The sooner I get away from this weirdo the better. The strange man gives me a ridiculously creepy smile and a giant wave goodbye as I disappear from his view, heading North-east.

XxxxX

The delivery was relatively uneventful. Weirdo's brother was very formal and business-like, greatly contrasting his brother. I couldn't even see a resemblance between the two. He simply nodded, took the package, and gave me the gil as was promised. Weird huh? I take a bite out of my apple-filled pastry.

You might be wondering how I ended up in a cafe. I was about to head south towards Junon for the next delivery, when I received a phone call. It was a girl, the one who ordered my next delivery. She asked if I could come next week instead to pick up her package, as some 'things' happened that she had to take care of. I simply reminded her about the 'late notice cancellation fee,' which was relatively small. She promised to pay the extra gil when I came for her package.

Kalm is a peaceful little town. Everyone seemed to know everyone in this town, and they knew I wasn't from there. But they didn't treat me badly, I am the saviour of the world after all. After the phone call, I had no idea what else to do. The delivery would have taken some time, but now, I have absolutely nothing to do. I thought about going home, but my stomach was thinking something else. After exploring town for a bit (on my shiny bike), drawing much attention from passers by, a local suggested that I go to this cafe. Apparently it's the best in town. I soon realized why.

It was the waitress. She certainly had a thing for me. At first I thought she was just being nice, but after a while it became obvious that she wanted something _else._ She would soften her voice and raise an eyebrow, then shake her hips rather extravagantly after I ordered my pastry. She might have put extra apple filling in it too. Her gaze is on me right this second, I can feel it. The reflection on the window confirms; she's eyeing me with interest as she wipes a wooden table near the back. Of course, I'm not interested. The atmosphere I'm in right now only reminds me of _Tifa,_ and she's much more interesting than this lady. I place the gil on the table, giving a larger tip than I usually do, and turn to leave. The waitress beams at me and waves extravagantly, but I only give her a nod. I'll save my smiles for someone else.

My mouth falls open. There is no majestic vehicle to greet me. The bright reflection from the sun that I came to expect from my new finish is not there. There is simply an empty parking lot. Absolutely nothing. My body begins to tremble with rage. Who in the world would have the nerve to steal my bike, let alone have the ability to? The bike is heavy enough as it is, and even if someone managed to move it, I had locked both wheels. No one should be able to move it unless they have the keys to the engine and the locks, and I have all of these. Over to the side, I see them. Pieces of chain and metal, undoubtably from the locks I used, torn apart as if attacked by a chainsaw. A violent shout catches my attention, and I run towards the source.

After sprinting a few hundred metres towards a small square, I see it. Three young men, around 17 years old, surround an older man, probably in his thirties. Problem was, this guy was a giant compared to the boys. He was definitely a miner, or a carpenter. His chest rises up and down with heavy breathing, and his heavily developed shoulders are poised for attack. In one of his hands, he wields a bloodstained behind him is another young boy, bloody and beaten to the ground, and a broken saw. Even further is...my bike!

'Hey man, that bike doesn't belong to you!' one of the boys say. I stop moving and listen intently.

'The owner looks tough too. You don't want to mess with him do you? We're trying to help you here.'

'Bah!' The bulky man spits out. 'No one is tougher than me! I was the best metal worker this town has ever seen! No one, not even you three, can stop me from taking this beauty.'

'No one can stop you? You needed a hammer to beat up my little brother over there! I''ll kill you!' the third man runs out with fury. Stupid idea. The bulky man didn't even need his hammer; the young man fell to the ground after a giant fist had crushed his intestines.

'No! Damnit I told you to control yourself!' The two remaining men charged with all they had, but they stood no chance. They were merely annoying pests compared to this raging giant. I swore in my head; this wouldn't have happened if I confronted tthe man earlier. Better late than never. The bulky laughed maniacally, preparing to bring down more pain on the men, still conscious but unable to move. I step into the battlefield.

'Stop.' I state simply.

'Hah! You the owner huh?' my anger must have been evident in my voice. Fighting him hand to hand would be very difficult, and I probably would get injured. I need to get him away from my bike so I can get my swords...

'I'm not going anywhere,' his devilish smile grows as I furrow my brows. How did he know?

'I saw those beauties you got in there. They'll be worth a lot of gil!' So he's seen my blades, and knows what I was planning. I guess I have no choice. I stretch my arms a bit, before charging straight at the man.

I landed the first blow. It was a heavy elbow straight into his gut, but it had very little effect. He pushed me back violently, only grunting in pain. He laughed it off as he threw a giant fist. Then he threw another. I dodged all of these, backing away one step at a time. The wall stops me. I roll away in time, dodging an extra hard right hand. I swear the wall cracked behind me. His smile is still evil, his eyes wide in pleasure. Does it please him to have his hands bleed? I bolt towards my bike, hoping that I can get a single sword out of there. He jumps forward ferociously, and manages to catch me off balance as I make to dodge it. I regain my balance, but somehow, he grabs hold of my shirt, and I end up against the wall. My breath leaves me as a fist crunches my gut, and he backs away, laughing. The wind is sucked out of me again and again, with each blow of increasing force. Once, twice, three times to the stomach, and then again to my face. I'm on my knees, trying to catch my breath, when I hear the screams of people behind me. A gang of local men with their makeshift weapons of wood at the front, their wives and family in the back. The men charge the giant and distract him. If I don't do something soon, these men will get hurt too. Painfully, I move towards my bike, open up the compartment, and bring out the main blade. I whirl around swiftly and point my my blade, bringing him to a stop. He had run after me, but now the tip was centimetres from his eyes. He stops momentarily, but then changes his mind and moves back. He isn't quick enough. I turn over my blade, and lunge at him, hitting him in the gut with my hilt. He falls to the ground, successfully incapacitated. The crowds makes a noise of approval; I simply nod. A man wearing relatively formal clothes approaches me; it's the man who I delivered the package to.

'I'll deal with him. I'm sorry for all the trouble sir Cloud.'

'I'm going home,' I state coldly.

'I understand. Thank you for your assisstance, and sorry once again.' I was expecting him to give me some sort of an explanation, but I couldn't care less right now. I just want to go home. He holds out his hand for me to shake; I think about it, but shake it anyway. I painfully get on my bike, and head off slowly, giving a short goodbye to the townspeople.

XxxxX

It was around 5 in the afternoon when the Seventh Heaven came into view. I had driven very slowly, the pain in my gut contributing. It had taken me an hour longer to drive back to Edge, despite Kalm being relatively close, just outside of Midgar. I even stopped at the side of the road a couple times because I thought I would throw up. I still can't believe how strong that guy was. It's almost suspicious...

The bar wasn't as busy as I thought it would be; only three people at this time. Two men and a woman were playing cards in the corner table, while Tifa stirred up her signature beef stew. She covers the pot and turns around to greet me, but her smile quickly changes to worry. I don't like that look on her face, the look of pain. She had worn that look so many times because of me, I don't want to see it again. I want to _change_ it. The customers quieted, noticing the pain on my face too.

_'If only I was stronger.'_ I curse to myself as regret pours in.

'Cloud! What happened! Are you hurt?' she is quick to my side, and grabs hold of my arm. I wince in pain and hold onto my damaged gut.

'I'm fine,' I manage to say between coughs.

'No you're not! Is that a bruise?' she cups my chin in her hand, turning my head slowly and eyeing the bruise on my temple.

'What on earth-'

'Tifa, thank you for the food, but we'll just leave. I see you have your hands full. Should we close the bar for you?' the customers were making to leave, concern evident on their faces.

'Yes please, and thank you.'

'Tifa, you don't have to close the bar because of me. It's nothing serious-'

'Whadda ya mean, nothing serious? You're holding onto your stomach so tightly it's like you want to rip it off. And that's a pretty big bruise!' Regret continues to pour into me. If only I'd have been stronger!

'Cloud, it'll be alright if I close it for a day. It was really busy for lunch, so we won't be losing much gil. Besides, you look like you got hit by a truck then punched in the face!' She was half right. She moves back towards the kitchen, likely retrieving an ice pack.

'Where's the kids?'

'At friend's house.'

'What? Weren't they supposed to help you?'

'It's fine Cloud. They helped me during lunch. Here.' she grabs hold of my hand and leads me upstairs slowly. We pass by her room, door ajar... I stop moving and stare at the glass vase by the window. There in the vase, was a pair of beautiful, white and purple orchids. Little green pebbles fill the base, covering the stem's tip. Clear water fills the vase halfway. The entire table where the vase stands is clear, but white wrapping is strewn about lazily across the floor. Tifa, curious about what I'm looking at, moves back. She lays eyes on the beautiful flowers, and begins to blush immediately. Her grip on me tightens, and I gladly accept the warmth.

'Thank You,' she states shyly. I'm glad as her worried face disappears, even if just for a moment, and is replaced by a cute, seemingly childish smile. She hugs my arm momentarily, and I can feel her face radiating. I am released from her grip, and she hands me the ice pack, standing by my door as I lie down on my blue blankets.

'You stay put,' she warns me with a smile. I smile in return. I slowly remove my shirt, then press the ice pack onto the affected area. Satisfied, she turns around and closes my door gently. I'm glad she didn't see the bruises. At least she likes her gift. As I slip out of consciousness, I smile.

_'The day didn't end as badly as I would have thought.'_

XxxxX

Chapter 2 End.

Should these chapters be shorter or longer? Please let me know = )

I also had no idea what Cloud's fav colour is, so I put blue (since its mine).

Also, these first few chapters will be rather slow (plot-wise), just doing some cute CloTi stuff for now before the real plot gets into full swing. If there's anything you want to see next chapter, or any specific themes and such, please let me know in your reviews. Thank You once again.


	3. Stargazing

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations – Stargazing

The room is pitch black. I stare blankly into the dark, allowing my eyes to adjust. Slowly, I turn my head towards the digital clock on my right: 2:13am. I let out a quiet sigh, recalling the events from yesterday. I had fallen asleep while recovering from yesterday's brawl. At least my gut doesn't feel like it's been crushed anymore. I remember the giant man, who seemed unaffected by my fists. He seemed to be unaffected by pain for that matter; I remember him laughing maniacally while his knuckles bled. It reminds me that even though I got rid of Sephiroth, the world still has some crazy people. The world is saved, yet, there is still suffering out there.

My thoughts wander to all the things I've experienced, the pain and destruction that I've seen. The Sector 7 Plate, the reactors I helped blow up, the burning of Nibelheim, all of the lives that have gone and passed away.

'_That's over and done with.'_

I lazily get up from my bed, thinking about what I can do in the middle of the night. After arranging my sheets in a neat and orderly fashion, I slowly creep out of my bedroom. The children's bedroom door was swung open; both were sleeping soundly. I never got to eat dinner with them last night, they must be worried. Now I turn my gaze to the next room, door shut. I quietly walk up to it, and slowly twist the silver knob. I bite my lips as the door creaks. There is no one there. No shapely figure covered in purple blankets, just an empty bed. The room is as neat as you'll ever find it, as expected. The white wrapping that was strewn about yesterday was no longer there. The purple white orchids remained however, to my satisfaction, in the centre of a table by the window. Or should I say, orchid. One of them was missing. The giant moon imposes its reflected light onto the flower, giving it a glowing look. Even the water seems to sparkle against the little green pebbles of the vase. I smile, and quietly close the door behind me, sneaking onto the steps. I spare a glance towards the children, still sleeping soundly. Yuffie would be proud of my sneaking skills.

I continue quietly down the steps, wincing as the last step creaks louder than I'd like it to. I pause for a moment, searching for any signs of disturbance. There are none. I walk towards the living room, searching. And there she is, coated in purple fleece blankets, lying on her right side atop the sofa. Her arm is limply straight, nearly touching the small coffee table. On top of said table, is a lone orchid, bright and vibrant against the moonlight. I smile as I quietly walk towards her. She makes a movement, and I stop everything, holding a breath. Her right hand reaches up to her face, and gives a quick scratch, before falling limply straight again. I continue to hold still, admiring her. The moon is the only source of light, but it's more than enough. Her blankets are tightly wrapped around her, giving her comfort. But they also outline her womanly figure, and her long, shapely legs...

'_Ugh! Get a hold of yourself Cloud!' _I internally smack my head at my stupidity. I can't help it if she's beautiful.

'You're beautiful, Tifa.' I whisper to myself. Why am I only able to say these things when she can't hear me? Suddenly, she makes another movement; did she hear that? I quietly make my way towards the kitchen as sweat drops start forming and my heart picks up the pace. I open the fridge, and bring out a milk carton. I take a clean glass and start pouring out the contents. Milk in hand, I sneak my way towards the large living room window. The giant moon continues to glow, outshining the stars in its immediate vicinity. Speaking of stars, there are many tonight. I stared at the stars for a few more moments, and then turned my attention to Tifa. I could only stare in admiration as memories and feelings continue to pour into me. All the things this woman has been through, and has done for me…all the pain that she's experienced, yet she has a smile on her face. Something sparkles in the corner of my eye; a shooting star.

'I don't know what you wish for, but I hope it comes true. Right now, I just wish that smile never leaves your face.' My words were quiet yet loud; only meant for me, but I'm sure the heavens can hear. Deep down, I wish Tifa can hear me too.

'_How do you do this to me? You don't even have to do anything, just lie there and smile and I can't think straight! What is this feeling? It's calling me…calling me towards you.' _Lost in thought, I quietly head towards the door. Without thinking, I undo the locks, and walk aimlessly into the night, head in the sky. I don't remember if I closed the door. I take a seat at the base of the short steps, and let my mind wander along with the stars.

I don't know how much time I spent outside. I didn't realize how cold my body was until something warm was pressed against my right side. Here she is, pressed up against me, still covered in her comfy purple blanket. Her head is on my shoulders, and I wince as cold tears run down my arm. I must've done something wrong; I wished for smiles, not tears!

'Tifa…'

'Oh, Cloud,' she can barely talk between quiet sobs.

'Tifa, why are you crying?' she wraps her arms tightly around me, and I return the action.

'I thought…' she continues her quiet sobs.

'I thought you left.' Immediately I was overcome by guilt.

'Tifa, I'm not going anywhere.' I say with resolve. I take her hand and squeeze it tightly against my heart.

'I promised you that I'd never leave you.' She looks up to me, eyes all watery, and I stare right back with a new strength and resolve. She then buries her face in my chest.

'I was wondering why it was getting cold. Then I saw that the door was open, and I…I thought that you left again. I don't know what I would do if you left.' This put things in new perspective. Being away from me really worried her, so if I left, that would've completely broken her. Once again, I was overcome with guilt, for neglecting her and leaving her for days on end.

'I'm sorry Tifa, if I worried you. But I'm not going to leave you again, like I promised!' she gives me a worried smile, eyes still watery but tears nonexistent.

'You can stay out here with me if you want. I see you're prepared already.' I smile and nod towards her comfy blanket, and she smiles back, more lively this time.

'Okay. But what about you?'

'I'll be fine. Just you being here is enough.' Her eyes brighten for a moment, and she leans her head on my shoulder once more, searching for a comfortable spot. After a few minutes in comfortable silence, her body goes limp, confirming her sleep, and leaving me the only one awake with the stars overhead. This reminds me of that night we spent beneath the Highwind. She had slept on my shoulder, similar to what she was doing now. I can't hold back my smile; that memory is one of the best I have. I lean my head against the wooden railing, holding her close.

'_I remember what I wanted to say to you that night. I wanted to tell you how thankful I was that you stayed with me. I always felt lonely. Growing up, I just wanted to be accepted, by you especially. I would stop what I was doing and look at you whenever you passed, hoping to get your attention. That night, I forgot what loneliness was. I was so happy, despite of the situation we were in. I had expected everyone to leave…but you didn't.'_

'Thank You,' my words are soft, so as to not wake her. The moon and the stars continue to sparkle and glow, pulling me back into a deep sleep.

Xxxxx

'It's almost dawn.' Her voice is soothing.

'Cloud, we should really head back.' I wave off her statement, eyes still closed.

'Just a little longer,' I respond, tightening my grip around her waist.

'We…don't get much time to do this kind of thing anymore. I want this moment…don't you?' I laugh at myself. How nostalgic. I slowly open my eyes, feeling her breath on my face. She's so close.

'Cloud…you remember?' the glowing red tint of her eyes mixed with the purple of the sky, so fascinating. It's like swimming in the ocean; you could get lost so easily.

'Tifa, I could never forget.' Her breath is sweet. It's hard to concentrate when her face is so close to mine. Within the short gap between us, there's _something_. Words, actions, and feelings; it's as if they've always been there, just waiting patiently for me to understand. She can feel them too, but she seems to have a better understanding of them than I do. Her face is moving closer... An inch, half an inch, a few centimeters; she was so close now. Our eyes meet for an eternal moment, fiery red against my cold blue. Our eyes are closed now, and –

Cough.

The moment shatters and fades away, and my thoughts are scattered, leaving me blank. I jerk my head towards the sound, Tifa doing the same. There by the doorway, was Denzel and Marlene. The young girl had the look of embarrassment, and a hand was guiltily placed over her mouth.

'So,' I start. 'You were watching?' I give Tifa a playful smile, before both of us burst into little giggles. She gives a playful slap to my arm, continuing her fit of laughter.

'N-No! Of course not! I-I'm sorry, were we interrupting?'

'No worries Marlene, we weren't uhm…doing anything.' Tifa flails her hands about her face, flushed in embarrassment, before pulling both children into a hug. I give a small smile, and look away, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks.

'We were just hungry, so we went downstairs. Then we saw that the door was open, so we decided to check it out and then –'

'Oh don't worry bout' it Denz. Really, we weren't doing anything.' I looked to Tifa, who managed to hide her blush, and gave her a wink. Well, I really didn't mean to, my body just did it on its own. Still, the desired effect was there. Tifa's face went red again, but it was hard to tell thanks to the orange glow the sun was giving now. She rushed the kids into the house, saying something about 'eggs and sausages,' and stopped momentarily at the door. She turns to me with a shy look, the orange from the sun making her eyes shine. Yeah, she's pretty all right.

'You coming?' her voice was soft and soothing again.

'Yeah.' And I step inside the house towards the kitchen, gripping her hand along the way.

XxxxX

'I'll be back as soon as I can,' I say. It's written all over her face: 'I don't want you to go.'

'Tifa, I have to.'

'I know, I understand.' Being delivery boy for the entire world was an important job, especially now, as the Planet and everyone living in it is still recovering one way or another. Packages needed to be sent to the needy, letters and mementos sent to the loved ones abroad. Cloud gets no days off. It was a very gratifying job, making people happy…but it doesn't make Tifa happy. At least I don't think it does. Knowing what I do now, I wouldn't want to leave if it only caused her sadness.

'Will you be alright?' she gives me a 'Hmph!'

'I can handle myself' she says with authority, throwing a punch. Of course, it wasn't aimed at me, it was just practice. But that didn't keep me from being surprised. Despite my senses, I didn't catch it. All I felt was a strong wind against my face, and when I looked to the right, she had already retracted her fists. I stare in bewilderment, much to her satisfaction.

'You're getting slow Cloud.' She crosses her arms.

'That's probably why you got beat up yesterday,' she states matter-of-factly.

'I didn't get beat up, it was just a bruise.' More like bruises. Yeah, that guy's fist was like Barret's gun arm, hurts like hell! But Tifa's punch probably would've hurt even more.

'Of course it was. Alright then, don't come home beat up later!' she waves as I make to leave the vicinity. I return a quick wave of my own, and then I'm off.

XxxxX

'Hey!' Directly ahead of me is a group of three, seemingly injured. I stop Fenrir on his heels, and race towards them. At first glance, nothing seems to be wrong with them. There's a puddle of water, which is strange since the rain had dried up yesterday, and there was no rain today. Upon closer inspection…I realize exactly what it is.

_Geostigma._

'Damn,' I mutter to myself, as the three continue to pant heavily and black liquid gushes from their bodies.

'What are you doing in a place like this so late?' I look around at the thousands of acres of grassland and farms, covered in the dark of night.

'We heard..that Midgar is where…the cure is-' The young man spits out more black goo. With great difficulty, he continues.

'I think…we got lost.' They sure did. Judging from their clothes, they're not farmers, so there's no way they could have came from the east. If they came from across the continent, then they certainly went a little too far. The young man passes out on the ground, followed by his male and female companion.

In the distance, a vehicle is heading towards us. Thankfully, it stops by my bike, and a middle aged man emerges from the driver-side.

'Hey, what's the holdup?'

'These people really need help. If they don't get treated soon, they're gonna die.' I look from him to his truck; he's got lots of space in there. It's a pretty nice truck too.

'Hey wait a minute, you're Cloud Strife ain't ya?' While normally I wouldn't mind being recognized, now isn't the time.

'Yeah, but that's not important right now. Can you help me out a bit? I need to get them to Midgar, it's not too far now if we drive quick.'

'I don' know…it's really late.' This really bothers me. People's lives are on the line!

'They need you.'

'I-uh…' he hesitates, pacing back and forth.

'Oh my wife is gonna pissed. But what the hell, I met Cloud Strife! Let's go get em!' He rushes towards the unconscious group, bringing one into the truck. I help him load the other, before getting the last one onto my bike. I take his limp arms and wrap them securely around me, making sure all of his weight is shifted towards me. I hold the young man's arms in place with my left, just in case.

'Follow my lead.'

'You're the boss, let's go!' and we race towards Midgar.

XxxxX

It was nearly midnight by the time we got to Sector 5. We had driven well over the speed limit, but that was alright. The young man on my back is weakening by the minute, I can feel it. No doubt the others are as well. I carry him as quick as I could into the church, placing him onto the floor. I rush back out to grab the last victim, passing by the middle aged man. He placed the girl next to the man, on the floor near the water. I grabbed the last of the injured from the truck, carrying him over my shoulder.

'So, how exactly is this going to cure them?' the middle aged man asks.

'Like this.' And with that, I head into the water, placing the man backside-down into the water. He floated about aimlessly, as the green light engulfed his affected areas. Soon, the black infection vanishes into thin air. I nod towards the girl, and the older man complies. He takes the girl and places her into the water, same way I did. I take the last victim, the young man, and place him in the water to be healed as well. Suddenly, I feel a vibration in my pockets.

Seventh Heaven.

'Cloud!' her voice is…surprised?

'What's wrong?'

'Oh. I was just surprised that you actually answered your phone.' I smile; it was one of the small things I had planned on changing.

'Anyway, it's past midnight….'

'Are you worried?'

'...Yes. Of course I am.'

'I'm sorry, stupid question. I…got caught up with a few things.'

'A few things?'

'I'll tell you about it later, I promise.' There is a slight pause, and I feel a bit guilty. I told her I'd be back as soon as I could. I guess this is 'as soon as I could.'

'Alright Cloud. Be careful.' She makes to hang up-

'Thanks Tifa.'

'Huh?'

'I said thanks. Thanks for calling.'

'Oh.' She gives a quick laugh.

'You know that I'll call you. I'll be waiting.'

'Yeah, I'll see you soon.' And our conversation ends.

'Cloud.' The older man is pulling something out of his pocket.

'I'm really sorry about this, but, could I get a picture with you?' he holds a small camera in the air. I can't help but laugh.

'Yeah sure I guess. You're a hero now too.'

'You really think so?'

'Yeah of course. Heroes aren't just people who do big things like saving the world. Sometimes, a hero is someone who goes out of his way to help someone.' I pat the older man on the shoulder, and smile as the camera flashes.

'Wow, that's…a really heroic thing to say.' I laugh again.

'What are we gonna do with these people?' He points towards the three, still unconscious, and drying up on the wooden floor.

'We'll take them somewhere safe.'

XxxxX

'Cloud! What happened to you?' Tifa is quick to meet me. I thought she would come running into my arms. Rather, I hoped. But she stopped just short, noting the condition of my clothing.

'Is that…' a look of horror creeps onto her face.

'Geostigma. And it's not mine, don't worry. I was…helping some people.'

'Wait what? And why do you…smell like flowers?' realization dawned on her face.

'Oh! That's really kind of you!' she gives me a shy smile, and I scratch the back of my head.

'Yeah, well, I know what it's like. It doesn't feel too good, having black liquid gushing out of your arm.'

'Heh. Probably not. Where are they now?'

'I took them to the Hospital. Their stigma is gone, but they were still unconscious...'

'Oh.'

She grabs hold of my arm, and leads me to the foot of the staircase.

'I'll go get you a shirt.'

'I can get it myself you know.'

'No, it's fine. Unless you're going to bed now...' her eyes are hiding something.

'Alright.' I lean against the wall, waiting only a few moments before Tifa returned with a grayish blue shirt of mine, and…my blue blankets? She threw the shirt at my face, and hid under my blankets. Shrugging, I remove my shirt and put on the new one, walking towards the living room sofa and throwing my dirty shirt on the armrest. Tifa didn't seem to mind.

'You're really energetic for this time.'

'I slept well last night,' she hesitates. 'With you.' I wasn't expecting that, but I'll take it.

'You mean this morning, cause it was past midnight.'

'Actually, it's past midnight right now, so it was last night.'

'Wouldn't that make it last morning?'

'Wait…what?' We both burst into laughter, but quickly stifled them to giggles so as to not wake the kids.

'You don't make any sense, Cloud.'

'Of course not, not when I'm with you.' I didn't intend on saying the last part.

'What?' Her smiling eyes sparkle and glow, just like they did last morning. Or whenever it was. Oh what does it matter!

'Nothing. Anyway, what's with the blanket?'

'Well, I was wondering…' she hesitates.

'Maybe you'd like to go stargazing again?' There's a hint of a glitter in the look she gives. I give her a nod.

'Yeah, let's do that.' And I lead her towards the front door, back to the wooden steps.

'_She sleeps well with me?' _I entertain myself with the thought. That wouldn't be so bad, sleeping with Tifa Lockhart. I mean, sharing a bed. You know what I mean! But then again, I'd always wake up tired. I'll never be able to sleep cause I'll spend all that time just admiring her and spacing out. I shake out of my reverie as the warmth of my blankets engulf me. She's using them too. Beneath the blankets, I hold her around the waist, pulling her closer.

'That way, uh – we can both get warm under the blankets.' I manage to stutter. Gosh I'm a failure. At least it makes her laugh.

'Yeah.' For a while, we talked. Talked about everything, and nothing. Our memories as children, insignificant, yet, significant. We didn't have too many memories together as kids; like I said, I was always separated from everyone. I was different, yet I wanted to be accepted. This is why I treasured every childhood memory I have with Tifa Lockhart, and I tried to make them the best they could be. I'm glad I did. She laughs as we recall: building snowmen at the base of Mt. Nibel, hide and seek around the town, drawing and writing our names in the dirt. _The night at the well._ She snuggled tighter against me as I recall my promise.

'Why did you agree to come see me that night?' She looks at me nervously.

'I told you already, didn't I?'

'You said "it was really sudden," but you never really gave me a reason.' She looks down shyly, completely oblivious to how cute she looks.

'I-I guess I...had a thing for you back then.' Her voice is a whisper in the wind.

_'She...had those feelings for me before?'_

'Why does it matter, Cloud?'

'It's just stuck with me all this time. I mean, you would've gotten into a lot of trouble, sneaking out at night to see me. You know how your dad is.' Her face reaches a new level of nervousness, as if that was possible.

'Hey, what's wrong?'

'What? No I just...you've been thinking about that all this time? I mean, that was a _long_ time ago.'

'Yeah well,' I'm taken by surprise as she wraps her arms around me. She looks up at me, eyes sparkling in the moonlight. I raise my brow in confusion, but she simply continues to hug me.

_'Girls, I'll never understand them.'_

'How about you?' Her question breaks my chain of thought.

'What about me?'

'Why did you decide to tell me, and not the other kids?' I start to get nervous too.

'I guess I had a thing for you too.' Her eyes are wide, she's obviously surprised. Her grin is big and wide, all teeth. So are mine. I give out a laugh, and so does she. We must look really childish right now. I don't care though, I mean, I'm happy and she's happy.

'I think I'm done for today,' she continues giving me that cute, shy look. It's hard not to smile when someone looks at you like that.

'Y-Yeah, alright.' There are still so many things I want to know and to tell her. I guess one can only say so much at a time. My gut is telling me she feels the same thing.

'Thanks Cloud, that was fun,' she states happily, finding a comfortable spot on my torso. As nervous as I am, I'm surprised that I'm not sweating at all. That would be a bad thing. Or maybe I am, but she just doesn't care. But that means...oh whatever. I think too much.

'I miss adventures,' she mutters softly into my chest.

'Yeah, me too.' She looks up, giving me a blank look. I find it funny.

'You go adventuring all the time, delivery boy,' she teases.

'But it's different when I'm with you. I mean, I'm always alone delivering.' She proceeds to resting her head on my chest again. I carefully move one of my hands from around her waist, bringing it behind her head. I never realized how soft her hair was. It's a bold move on my part; I've never done something like that with her. I start feeling nervous; how will she respond? She doesn't. If anything, she pressed herself tighter against me. I don't argue.

She once told me that words aren't the only way to tell people how you feel. Is she trying to tell me something? I mean, we've been awfully close to each other these past three days...and she's much happier than I've seen her in a while.

_'What are you trying to tell me?' _I break out of my thoughts; this is beginning to happen all the time now, spacing out. She sighs into my body, sleep taking her.

'Goodnight,' I whisper. But she's already gone to the land of dreams. I rest my head on the railings once more, finding that comfortable spot for my head. I'll be joining her soon. I look to the sky, giving my goodbyes and goodnights to the world. And all goes black once more.

XxxxX

Chapter 3 End.

I get the feeling these chapters are really long. I mean, a WHOLE DAY? WHOAH? Anyways, it's been cute and all so far, but that just might change a bit. So prepare yourselves.

I hope you enjoyed this one anyway. Fluffy as the blue blankets. Don't forget to Review, and thanks for reading!


	4. Anxious Heart

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations – Anxious Heart

My eyes jolt open. I'm shivering in cold sweat, gasping for my breath. This is the second time this week. I continue to lie on the relatively hard bed for a few moments, attempting to make sense of it all. Despite my efforts, I can't remember my dream. Or rather, nightmare. I spend a few more moments in thought, before sighing and getting up. I reluctantly make my way to the mirror, already knowing what I'm going to see. Bloodshot eyes stare pleadingly back at me, like a child who is lost and hurt. I glance to the clock on the far left; it's only 4:12am. Rather annoyed at myself, and still exhausted, I head back towards the bed.

As I mentioned, this is the second time this week that I woke from a nightmare, one which I cannot remember. It's strange, since I haven't had one in over a month. Not only that, but I've had trouble sleeping this whole week. Less than four hours of sleep doesn't help when you arrive at the roadside inns completely exhausted from long delivery runs across hundreds of miles. My ears pick up a distant noise, and I turn my head towards the window, layers of dust highlighted by the greyish blue light of North Corel dawn. Men shout in the far off distance, giving instructions and commands, with the noise of metal on rock in the background. These guys never give up.

I had left Edge four days ago, for a special (and exhausting) delivery run across the ocean. I haven't been well since then. Like I said, I've been having insomnia recently, but that's not all. It feels strange saying this, but I'm feeling a little homesick right now. And a little guilty. I had to get up early to make it to the Junon ferry three days ago. I didn't have time to properly say goodbye to Tifa and the kids. Now that I think about it, I feel absolutely terrible. Five days I would be away from home...I wonder how Tifa's holding up without me. Guiltily, I grab my phone from the bedside table, and I check my call history. Seventh Heaven - Thursday March 24th, 20:13. It's been three days since she called; connection is never too good in the Corel area. I call anyway. I didn't expect it to ring, but... 'Ring, Ri- We're sorry, your connection is not sufficient. Please try again later.' I'm glad it disconnected; it's 6 in the morning in Edge, but I doubt she's awake at this time. I'd feel terrible if I woke her up.

I place the phone back on the table. I realize that I've been hugging a pillow really tightly - and I'm sweating. It feels...like her. Okay, not really. I mean, it's a pillow, come on! She would kill me if I ever compared her to a pillow. But it's soft, just like her on that night we spent under the moon. And it's warm, like her body when she embraces me. Sighing, I release the pillow and get up, feeling a little bit colder. She's _not_ here, and neither are the kids. The more time I spend outside, the more time I'll be away from them. Resolving myself, I make my way towards the bathroom.

xxxxx

I bury my head in my palms, getting rather impatient. I tiredly look about the room, eyeing the flashing 'open' sign and the brilliant blue letters of the 'Cafe Corel.' I will be headed to Rocket Town for my last delivery soon, a rather dangerous trip if you're travelling through the mountains. There are safer ways of course, but I prefer the danger. It keeps my reflexes in check. I look up as the waitress, a very young brunette, slowly places my blueberry pastry and coffee in front of me. She seems to be new to the restaurant, which is probably why my order took so long. Feeling a little bad about myself (I had cursed under my breath about how slow the damn order took), I give her a faint smile, and take a bite into my pastry. Seemingly uplifted, she gives a quick bow and walks back towards the kitchen, as there are no other customers at five in the morning.

I'm nearly finished eating my pastry, when-

SLAM. I can feel the vibrations on the table. My back is turned to the front door, so I don't know who this person is. I was starting to get impatient again due to the loud entrance, but then I hear his voice.

'Good Mornin' Daisy! Give me the regular!' His voice is loud and full of thunder; it can only belong to one person. I whirl my chair around, and my thoughts are confirmed.

'You got it, Barret sir!' the young girl seemed to be excited now.

'Yeah, thanks. Searchin' for oil ain't that easy, it's exhaustin'. I need all the energy I can-' his attention suddenly turns to me, and he is sufficiently surprised.

'Hey spikes!' I nod, and he treads towards me, thunderous vibrations echoing through the floorboards. He slaps his metal hand on my back, and I'm glad that I finished my pastry beforehand, otherwise it would've spilled out of my mouth.

'What the hell are you doin' here?' I give him a blank look, as the answer should be obvious.

'Ha ha! I knew you'd say that.' I didn't even say anything. 'Ha! See?' he slaps my back again.

'How ya been man? How's Edge? How's Tifa and the kids? HOW'S MARLENE DOIN'?' I don't understand where he gets all his energy from. He probably doesn't even need all that food that was just placed in front of him. He thanks the waitress before turning his attention back to me. I take a sip from my coffee, still relatively hot.

'Good, I guess.' He gives me a look, as if I'm supposed to tell him more.

'Edge was hurt by that incident, but a lot has been rebuilt. It won't be long before things are normal again.' I put down my coffee, feeling more lively. I notice that the young waitress is staring at me. Knowing full well what she wants to know, I raise the mug and give her an approving nod. She smiles and leaves us to our conversation, disappearing into the kitchen.

'Thas' good' he states between big bites of his donut. He chugs down a large amount of coffee, before continuing.

'How are the kids? Is Marlene happy?' He gives me a serious look.

'Yeah,' I assure him. 'She's doing really well for First Grade. Really smart, she never needs help with homework.' I give him a faint smile.

'YEAH! That's my Marlene! Don't let no homework get to you!' he pumps his fist.

'Denzel's been much better too. He doesn't do as well as Marlene, but he's a lot happier now than he was before.' Barret gives me another pat on the back, which almost spilled my coffee. It's getting rather annoying.

'That's what I'm talkin' about! You're a good father, I just know it.' Now _that_ almost made me_spit_ my coffee. Me? A father? That would make Tifa the... I break out of my thoughts, a blush creeping onto my face. I decide to stay silent, unsure what to say. He catches my reaction, and gives a hearty laugh, followed by another strong pat on the back. Come on, seriously? His face starts to look serious again.

'How's Tifa?' He eyes are intent and focused, a little too focused if you ask me. I open my mouth to respond, when the _Victory Fanfare_ ringtone of my phone starts to play. I look to Barret, who shrugs and returns to eating his donuts and chugging his coffee. I flip open my phone, taking a quick glance at the number, and smile to myself, bringing the device to my ear.

'Hey,' I greet softly.

'Hey,' her voice is soft in return. 'Did you call?'

'Yeah.' She giggles a little.

'I've been trying to call you for a while. I thought you were ignoring my calls again.' A bit surprised, I smile to myself, Barret eyeing me suspiciously.

'No Tifa,' I put a little emphasis on her name, catching Barret's attention. 'I'm not ignoring you. Corel just doesn't have too many places with good connection.'

'Oh! Is Barret there?' He seemed to have heard this, but to my surprise he shakes his head. I thought he of all people would want to talk to Tifa. I'll do him a favor though.

'Not right now, no. But I saw him yesterday. He has a message for Marlene.'

'Does he?' Suddenly, my heart starts to race. Frantically, I try to think of another way of saying this. But I can't.

'I love you.' There is a pause, much longer than necessary. I can't believe I just said that. I could have just said 'he loves her.' Barret fidgeted a little, which brought me back to reality.

'He says' I added quickly. 'Tell Marlene he said that.' I look towards Barret, who moves to pat my back again, grinning. Getting rather tired of that, I stand up, bringing my coffee with me as I walk towards one of the windows. I feel really stupid and embarrassed right now, I'm glad Barret can't see my face.

'Y-yeah.' she stutters. I can't help but smile. 'I'll tell her that. Anyways, why did you call? Do you need anything?' I'm slightly taken aback by her response.

'Hmm' I start. 'Did you not want me to call?'

'What? N-No that's not what I m-'

'I just thought I'd say hi. I just wanted to know how you're doing.' She giggles again, more loudly this time. I imagine her smiling, and I give a faint smile of my own.

'You're funny,' she says. I'm completely bewildered, as I don't think I've said anything funny. But then again, I'm not too good with girls.

'I've been good Cloud, thanks for asking.' We continue our conversation, keeping track of the time, which I don't have much of. Barret is almost finished his (immensely large) breakfast.

'Hey Cloud, I've gotta go. The first customer is coming in.'

'Alright.' There is a short pause, and I start to think that she hung up on me.

'Thanks again.' My smile grows a bit larger; it hasn't left me since the start of this conversation.

'Yeah. I'll see you soon. Take care,' I say.

'Okay.' And she hangs up. I look to Barret, who is taking the last bite of his third donut, and flip my phone back in my pocket. He chugs down his last (third) mug of coffee. That must be where he gets his energy from.

'Looks ta me,' he starts, 'that you two are getting along huh?' He gives a large grin.

'Yeah.' I take a sip from my coffee.

'Finally saw what was right in front of ya?' He smirks and gives a friendly punch to my arm. I don't really understand what he means though.

'...What?' His expression drops, turning dead serious again. He moves closer threateningly.

'You better not hurt her,' he grunts, 'or else.' Why would I want to hurt Tifa? I sigh to myself, as this conversation isn't going anywhere.

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Wait...you mean you're not?'

'Not what?' He looks at me like he's never seen me before, then releases a hearty laugh.

'Nevermind. Where ya headed?' I glance at my watch; I should be leaving in two minutes.

'Rocket Town.'

'Yeah? I'm comin' too then. Got some parts for bigmouth over there.' Barret's a big mouth too. Not as much as Cid though.

'I'm leaving right now.'

'Ha! Alright then let's go!' He gets up quickly.

'I'm taking the mountains.'

'Dangerous, huh? There ain't nothin' I can't handle!' He points towards the window. There is a large, ferocious looking pickup truck, with mud stains all over its exterior. A yellow, mud-stained fabric hides the supposed metal parts that Cid is asking for. I shrug, and head out of the cafe, Barret's thunderous footsteps behind me.

xxxxx

'Sit your short ass back down little girl and don't try anything!' Cid spits out, taking a cigarette from his pocket.

'I am NOT a little girl!' The young ninja stomps her foot. As expected, Cid ignores her.

'Shera! Where's the goddamn tea!' Shera walks into the room, all smiles, and places a tray of hot tea onto the table. Cid smiles back at her, and Shera takes a seat. I don't understand how these two get along. If I asked Tifa for the 'goddamn tea' she'd kick me out of the house, literally.

'You're so rude!' shouts Yuffie. 'That's sexist! Sexist I tell you!' Yuffie continues to blabber and insult Cid, who responds with his own insults. I don't even know why she's here in the first place. Barret tries his best to stop them, but gives up knowing that it's impossible. Shera continues smiling and hands me a cup. I simply shrug, finding this situation rather amusing, and take a sip.

'Ahem!' Shera coughs loudly. Cid looks to Shera, and finally decides to stop arguing.

'Shut up, it's time for the men to talk business.' Cid glares at Yuffie, who simply will not stop.

'What are you TALKING about? I'm in the WRO too in case you didn't notice.' So this is a WRO meeting then? I make a movement, seeing that I have nothing to do with this but-

'You're not goin anywhere, Chocobo-ass! Sit your ass back DOWN.' I stare at him blankly.

'Very original, Cid.' He scoffs at my response.

'Yo! Sit down for a bit, it's important.' I take a seat, now curious as to what's going on. Now the room is quiet. This must be serious.

'Cloud, do you...watch the news?' Yuffie questions.

'No.'

'Not even for weather?'

'I don't need to.' Fenrir has never failed me, even in the roughest of storms. Yuffie slouches in her seat, muttering something about 'cocky' and 'thinks he's so cool.' I simply shrug.

'Some strange stuff has been on the news lately.' Cid states. 'Some damn weird things.' He turns towards the window, eyes distant.

'What do you mean?' There is a pause.

'It's only been over a month,' Barret starts. 'Geostigma is still killing a whole lotta' people all around the Planet.' I knew this already. I feel like there's something I'm missing though. A memory of some sort. Instead, my thoughts wander to those three victims whom I helped last week.

'Yeah, I know.' Everyone looks to me.

'The only place with the cure is that church,' Barret says. Now I know where this is going.

'I'm not sure I can help you.' Cid looks to me, disappointed.

'I knew you'd say that, being delivery boy and all. But you ought ta help us when you can.' I would but, that would mean I'd have to stay away from home more often. As if I get much time to be at home anyway.

'I don' know how to explain this,' Barret scratches his head. 'But I think the planet's still sick.' He looks to Cid, who nods in approval.

'The planet's sick, and this damn Geostigma is a symptom.' There is a long pause.

'We're starting next week. We'll be transporting people from all over to the church,' Yuffie states. She's been unnaturally quiet since the conversation started. Her eyes are distant, empty. She must have lost someone close due to the stigma.

'I'll do what I can,' I say, receiving hopeful looks from everyone.

'Alright then, that's it_._I'll take y'all back tomorrow mornin', so get some rest. I got y' all spots in the inn over there. We're waking up EARLY!' He points outside, to a brightly lit building.

'Thanks,' Barret says gruffly. We all give our thanks to Cid and Shera, and make our way to the inn.

xxxxx

Once again, I didn't sleep well. It wasn't a nightmare, but one hell of a weird dream. I remember it well.

I was floating around in space, and in front of me, was the Planet. Slowly, people started popping up out of nowhere, and hugging the planet. Eventually, there were so many people, that the Planet's land and water couldn't even be seen. After that, the Planet started falling, and I was forced to follow. The giant mass would hit other planets, causing some damage. While the other planets were bigger and didn't break into a million pieces upon impact, they would start to burn. Eventually, all of the Planets that were hit would turn a carbon black, and crumble. Being the non-insightful person that I am, I have no idea what this means. I'm sure it's just one of those random dreams I have.

I rub my forehead in quiet focus, swaying a bit as the airship goes through some turbulence. Normally, I would be pacing back and forth to relieve my motion sickness, but I just didn't have the energy to do that. Everyone had to get up at three in the morning to board the airship. Cid seems to be the only one with enough focus right now, but that's expected since he's the captain. Barret's snoring his heart out in the corner sofa. Shera just disappeared from view, probably making some of that 'goddamn tea' that keeps Cid so focused. I should probably drink some more of that stuff. Yuffie is spread out on the floor, looking green. She's getting better though; she hasn't thrown up on the floor. Noticing my gaze, she snickers at me. She's probably feeling good that I'm suffering a little bit too. Suddenly, I feel the familiar vibration going off in my pocket. Smiling, I answer.

'Tifa.' Yuffie fidgets a bit at the sound of her name, and gets up suddenly. So much for motion sickness. I can feel mine disappearing too. I get up as well, and move towards the large windows, trying to avoid Yuffie. It's a harder task than it sounds.

'Hey, Cloud.' God, how I love her voice. Yuffie's next to me now, trying to listen to our conversation. I glare at her, but continue anyway, letting a faint smile creep onto my face. Yuffie noticed this, and she grins in excitement, eyes wide.

'How have you been?' she asks me.

'Heh. I'm alright I guess. Feeling a little nauseous. I'm on _the Shera_ right now, I'll be home in a few hours.'

'Hmm. That's good. I missed you Cloud.' My expression must have been a joy to watch.

_'She missed me?'_ Yuffie is jumping up and down like a maniac, pointing her finger at me childishly. I try to turn away, but it's too late. I'm blushing madly right now. Yuffie mouthing 'Oh my god oh my god!' isn't helping much either.

'Y-yeah...I miss you too, Tifa.' I can hear her giggling on the other line.

'You're up early,' I state.

'Mhmm. I haven't been sleeping well lately,' she pauses, and I think I know what she's going to say. I look to Yuffie, wanting to see her reaction.

'Without you.' Yuffie makes a girly scream, as expected, and I laugh. Tifa's laughing too, recognizing who the scream came from.

'Tell her I said hi-'

'HI TIFA!' She exclaims loudly, waking Barret. He grunts in confusion, giving us an annoyed look. He lays back down though, probably trying to ignore us.

Yuffie stays quiet for the remainder of our conversation, resorting to making funny faces at me. I ignore her, smiling.

'Alright Cloud, I think I'll take a quick nap.'

'Sleep well.' Yuffie makes another movement, clearly enjoying herself. Tifa gives a quick laugh.

'Very funny. Be home soon, okay?'

'I will.' I flip my phone back into my pocket, glancing at Yuffie, who looks just about ready to burst.

'You. Two. Are. So. CUTE!' She jumps happily.

'You always say that.'

'Well it's true! I mean, come on! You'd have to be stupid not to notice!'

'Notice what?' She looks at me blankly.

'You really ARE an idiot!' she sneers at me. I ignore her.

'Whatever you say.' Suddenly, she starts to giggle.

'Tell you what. She's completely stupid for you, and you're an idiot! So it's a perfect match!' She grins madly, pleased with herself. Did she just call Tifa stupid?

'What?'

'You know what I mean!' she says, reading my expression. 'Don't you get it yet Cloud? She LOVES you, and you LOVE her, so...' she motions forwards with her hands.

'So...?'

'So what are you waiting for! Get together already!' she crosses her arms. 'How long it been, like, 7 years or something?' I wasn't expecting that.

'See! You're blushing!' she flails her arms around wildly. 'Come on Cloud!'

'You do love her, don't you?' Her tone is serious now.

'...'

'Cloud...'

'...'

'Cloud.'

'...'

'Cloud!'

'Yeah. Yeah I do.' There. I said it.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to remember. You know, having Zack's memories and feelings and all. I was never really too sure which were mine. But now, I'm starting to remember. Those long days of ShinRa training, away from home. That feeling of longing as I lay on the hard bunk bed...I remember it now. I've always loved Tifa. Suddenly, I start to feel a little anxious.

_'How does she feel about me now? She can't possibly have those feelings for me after everything I've put her through. She probably thinks I'm crazy still.'_Yuffie blabbers on, I don't really know what she's saying though.

'_But she helped me piece my memories back together.'_Yuffie was starting to get a bit annoyed now, but I don't really care.

_'She said that she missed me.'_

_'She said that she sleeps well with me.'_

_'She said that she had feelings for me before.'_I sigh, frustrated and anxious and exhausted. Remembering can sometimes be that way.

'Cloud, you're not listening to me are you? Quit brooding, you and Vincent do that too much.'

'Sorry.' Yuffie gives me a smile, which usually means she's going to insult me.

'At least you apologize. Vincent _always_ ignores me, but doesn't say a thing! I don't think "sorry" is in his vocabulary.' She crosses her arms, and looks towards the sky. I laugh at the thought of Vincent being nice to someone. Still, there's something strange about her look now that she mentioned him. I decide to leave it alone.

'I'll leave you alone now. You've satisfied my curiosity.' I give her a quick smile. She can be super annoying, but she knows when to stop I guess.

'Thanks. I need a nap.' She nods as I tiredly make my way towards a sofa, picking the one farthest from Barret. He snores like an ogre. I lay my head down on the armrest, and slowly, drift off to sleep.

xxxxx

Chapter 4 - End.

I hope you enjoyed this. I apologize if you were expecting more Tifa in this chapter, she'll be back soon.

I'm really excited. I've completely finished the plot of this story. Now all I have to do is type it. Of course, I'm going to edit it like a maniac. But still, the plot of this story is DONE.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, please continue with the feedback! It is much appreciated ~


	5. A Presentiment

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations - A Presentiment

The earth shakes beneath my feet. I start to run, speeding my way through the jagged mountain terrain. The black mist flows straight through me, darkening everything I can see. Invisible objects pound me, and I stumble to the ground. Ahead of me, the black mist engulfs all I can see in shadow. It's so cold.

I know what's coming next. But that doesn't make a difference. The ground beneath me breaks, leaving me above a gaping, pitch black hole. What little of the barely visible mountains disappears from view, as my body plummets through the void. I tremble, unable to move as adrenaline and fear overcome me. After falling for so long, gravity itself becomes nonexistent, and I feel myself being pulled and pushed in all directions. Yet, there is nothing pushing me or pulling me. Absolutely nothing.

On, and on, and on. My endless fall drives me near the edge. So many feelings happening all at once, I don't even know what's happening anymore. But really, nothing is happening. Absolutely nothing at all. Fear, anger, hatred, grief, guilt, and sorrow. _Loneliness._

_'It's so cold.'_

My hands have not stopped trembling. My heart has not stopped racing. My blood has not stopped rushing. Yet, there is something different this time. The fear, the anger, and the solitude continue to pound me mercilessly. Yet, something else is there. Every now and then, after endless blows of negative emotion, there is a warm touch - soothing, comforting, and softening the bruises of my mind and heart. The touch gets stronger, turning into a tug, and then into a firm yet soft hold. Everything is stable in an instant, and I'm being pulled upwards, back above the mountains. The black mist races behind me, threateningly close. But it never catches up. The sky is gray, devoid of life. Save for a single beam of bright light, drawing nearer by the second. A light concealed behind a lonely, white...

'Cloud.' The voice is soft, the sound of comfort. Those burgundy eyes, so familiar, are so close to mine. All I can do is blink. But when my eyes finally open, the warm burgundy is not there to return my gaze. Instead, comforting arms wrap themselves around my neck, bringing my head to a shoulder behind warm hands. An uplifting breath breezes onto my own shoulder, and I release a breath which I hadn't realized I was holding.

'Cloud.' Her voice resonates in my ears. Finally regaining myself, I pull away, meeting her face; it's tainted with worry. I move a hand over hers, gripping it tightly and moving it away towards my chest. My hands no longer tremble.

'Are you alright?' Her voice is soft, but worry is evident. I don't like hearing her voice this way.

'I'm alright.'

'Mhmm.' Her voice trusts me, but her eyes do not.

'Tifa, I'm fine.'

'No, you're not. You're sweating, and breathing hard. This happened last night too, didn't it?' How did she know about that? Sighing, I rub my forehead.

'I'll be alright Tifa, don't worry about me.'

'Cloud, please?' The look of worry on her face hasn't changed, and the concern in her voice remains. I absolutely hate it when she's like this, especially if it's because of me. It's a pain knowing you've caused someone else's. We remain silent, me looking down in guilt as she continues to worry about me. After a while, she shifts, moving to stand up. Her movements are rather swift; she's obviously mad about something. Her face turns away, and she starts to get up.

_'No, not like this. Don't go just yet.'_

I reach out, and catch her by the wrist, effectively drawing her attention.

_'I need you.'_ My face says it all.

_'Don't go.'_ To my relief, her expression softens. It's her that's surprised as I pull her in for an embrace.

_'I'm not losing you.' _And then I let it all go. The pain and guilt that still lingered here and there - ghosts of my dreadful past returning to haunt my dreams whenever they so felt like it - I let it all go and put it into this embrace. They almost had me tonight. Almost. But tonight, I have someone to share my burdens with.

'Cloud...'

'Stay with me.' My grip around her tightens.

'Okay.' I lay back down slowly, resting my head on its side. She lays down in front of me, a small smile playing her lips. It would be an understatement to say that a wave of relief washed over me. It was more like a giant tidal wave engulfing me and drowning me. I grip her hands tighter, as if she would save me from drowning in my emotions. And she did.

'Cloud...' her voice is soft, but no longer strained with worry.

'What's wrong?' she moves her gaze to mine, and smiles at me.

'I'm just really glad.'

'Yeah.' Despite myself, I can't help but feel a little ashamed. I must look so weak.

'I don't think you're weak, Cloud.' How does she always know what I'm thinking? She continues.

'We're only human, you know?'

'More or less.' She gives a quick laugh.

'No, really. I think it takes more strength to share your weaknesses with others, rather than hide them.' She shifts her head, and I notice a new sparkle in her eyes. It's as if an old flame of hope has been rekindled inside her. I give her a smile.

'If you say so.'

For a while, we remain fixed in each other's gaze.

'Shouldn't you be going to sleep Cloud?' I wasn't really expecting that.

'I...'

_'Truth is, I don't want to sleep. Cause' I don't want to miss you, and I don't want to see you going away.'_

'Cloud, I'm not going anywhere. Go to sleep you look exhausted.' She smiles at me, the kind of smile that warms frozen hearts and mends broken dreams. And that's all I needed.

xxxxx

'Do you really have to go?' It kills me to do this. It's always hard whenever she pleads for something.

'Sorry Tifa, I have to.'

'You only came back the other day...' Her beautiful face is stained with worry.

'I know, I know.' I pull her in for an embrace.

'Listen,' I start. 'I know I've been gone a lot lately. I'm sorry. But after this delivery, I'll be free for the next two weeks.' I squeeze her tighter for assurance.

'But...' she hesitates. 'Aren't you exhausted?'

'I'll be alright.' She remains silent, but it doesn't seem like she wants to give up just yet. We've had this conversation a few times before, but she's never been this persistent. I clear my throat.

'Were you...planning something?' My question immediately catches her attention, and she starts to get flustered.

'Not really...' she sounds unsure.

'Hey, you can tell me.' I move my face closer to hers, close enough so I can barely feel her breath. I stare into her, attempting to read her thoughts. Attempting.

'Uhm-' She quickly moves her face away from mine, her blush well hidden. I caught it though, and give her a smile as I take her hand.

'...Tifa?' She looks to me with smiling eyes, and then looks away abruptly. But she looks again, and turns away again. Seems she can't make up her mind. It's somewhat amusing, since I rarely see her so flustered. I don't even know why she is. But I have to admit, she's really cute when she's like this. I squeeze her hand a bit, letting her know that I'm still here. She looks up at me, more determined this time, and then...

Her breath is sweet. I can almost taste it. I can feel it. I can feel my cheek too, it's burning up. Her lips were just there a second ago.

_'She just...kissed my cheek.' _The thought replays over and over in my head. Before I know it, I'm laughing. Laughing out of sheer happiness.

_'Did that just happen?'_ My thoughts are broken after a sharp pain enters my foot. She just stomped on it. For a second, I thought I made her angry. But she's still smiling, and her blush is really obvious now. Plus, I felt the pain, meaning that I felt her kiss too. I'm not dreaming after all. She's looking away shyly, oblivious once again to the beauty of her expression. Drowned in my own happiness, my body acts on its own. It's probably the boldest thing I've ever done in my life.

I pull away from her, having planted a kiss of my own on her rosy cheek. She stares into me, her eyes overwhelmed with joy. Her smile is heavenly, like the sun breaking through the clouds after a midsummer's rain. Unable to formulate any words, I simply scratch my head. And we both burst into laughter.

'Uhm...yeah.' She gives me a sheepish grin, before shyly turning away again.

'Yeah.' That's probably the only thing I can say at this point.

'Shouldn't you be going now?' She places her hands on her hips, looking every bit authoritative. It's kind of funny.

'What?' She smiles again, and starts pushing me towards my Fenrir, running idly by the curb.

'Come on Cloud, you've got a job to do!'

'H-Hey!' First she kisses me in the cheek, now she wants me to leave? Why do females have to be so complicated? She hugs my back.

'Be careful okay?'

'Yeah.'

'Promise me you'll be back.' I give her a blank look. Why is she so worried today?

'Cloud!'

'Yeah. I promise.'

'Good. I'll hold you to it. If you don't come back, I'll find you myself.' She crosses her arms, still smiling. I can't help but laugh.

'If you say so.' I hop on my bike, and wear my goggles, setting them carefully for maximum comfort. After what happened today, I think I'll be driving extra quick.

'I'll see you soon.'

'Okay. Be careful.' I nod and give her a quick wave, before speeding off into the early morning horizon.

xxxxx

I sigh in relief, the end of the long highway finally in sight. The WRO recently made a highway connecting to the southern continent. They used it to help transfer troops and supplies to support with the rebuilding of Mideel. With the city rebuilt, the highway became open to the public. Not that anyone really uses it. Mideel might be a good vacation spot, hot springs and all, but people would rather take a plane than drive for 6 hours across the ocean. I know I would. Thank Gaia I filled up on gas.

I drive along an off-road path, remembering the directions given to me. Remember that lady from Junon who postponed her order? Yeah, she called again earlier. She canceled her order altogether, and replaced it with a new one.

'Go to the southern continent, near Mideel. After the highway, take the off-road path on your right, and keep going straight. You'll end up in my old village. My family lives in the largest house. Get the package from them, and bring it to me.' She hung up after that. You could say I was annoyed. I was still in a good mood though, since she called right after I left Edge. I didn't really drive anywhere outside of town yet, so I didn't waste any gas. Or time - I can't afford to waste that. My thoughts wander back to Tifa, and that kiss she gave me. Smiling, I continue my journey through the dirt road.

It wasn't long before I ran into the village she mentioned. The place is ancient - many of the houses were ruined. I start to wonder if anyone lived here at all, but suddenly a few children come running into my view.

'I guess people do live here.' I continue driving slowly, easily grabbing the attention of the locals. Eventually, I pass by an immensely large house (for that area anyway), covered in overgrown ivy. If it weren't for the lights inside the house, I'd say that this place was abandoned. Slowly, I make make my way to the door.

The dusty old door creaks open, revealing an older teen, around 17 or 18. His black hair is long and damp, covering much of his face and giving him a mysterious look. He stares at me blankly with his only visible eye, and then signals for me to wait. Turning around, I notice that he has a bandage around his forearm; Geostigma.

After a few moments, he returns with an envelope.

_'An envelope? I've been driving all day for an envelope?'_ My annoyance must have shown on my face, since he hesitates in giving it to me. Whatever. Customers get what customers want. I take the envelope, before looking into his eye one last time. They are the same ones that I had - painful, lonely eyes.

'You'll be alright.' I assure him. He stares back, not saying a word. His eyes are cold. The door slams in front of me, dust flying everywhere.

Sighing, I head back towards my bike. People can be really weird sometimes. I've got a few hours left before sundown. Goggles on, I head out of the village towards the rebuilt city of Mideel.

xxxxx

'30,000.'

'What?' There's just no way that's 30,000 Gil. That's like a lifetime pass to the Gold Saucer! This is ridiculous.

'What's so special about them?' The store clerk gives me a look, as if I'm supposed to know.

'Well...' he starts. 'They are made from a very rare crystal formation. These crystals are only found near Lifestream, and as such, they often contain some essence of the Lifestream.'

'Where did these ones come from then?' He gives me another long look.

'Why, they're from here!' He flails his arms around wildly.

'Why are they so expensive then? I mean, if they're abundant here...' He laughs at my comment. As if I'm supposed to know these things!

'Sir, it's not as simple as grabbing a pick-hammer and smashing away. These crystals are indescribably precious. Just extracting these crystals costs many times more money than entire mining operations.' Okay, so these rocks are a big deal. I get it now.

'You said these crystals have the essence of the Lifestream. Are they...materia?' Once again, he laughs at my comment. Does he enjoy making me feel stupid?

'I wouldn't go as far as that. They simply share some physical properties of Mako energy.' He points towards the crystal necklace in front of me. Though the crystal itself is small - about the same size of a crystal on regular jewellery - the difference is noticeable. A light seems to flicker inside of the crystal; raw Mako energy.

'These ones are extra expensive, since they come in different colors.' He points towards a small set of similar accessories inside a glass box, but my attention is focused on the one in front of me. Within the silver frame, the crystal glows a brilliant blue.

'Who are they for?' The clerk asks.

'Just a friend.' He scoffs at my remark.

'Well, must be a really good friend if you're willing to pay 30,000 a piece.'

'I never said I was paying.' And she's not just a really good friend. I glare at the clerk, before returning my attention to the glowing crystal. Suddenly, I feel a familiar vibration.

'Hey Tif-'

'It's Yuffie!' What the hell? I glance at my phone to check the number: Seventh Heaven.

'I'm at the bar.'

'Oh.'

'I'm going to kill you!' Sigh.

'What?'

'How could you leave Tifa like that! Come on Cloud she was all yours but you left!'

'What are you talking about?'

'Yuffie! What are you doing?' It was Tifa.

'Crap. You're so lucky, Cloud. If I had more time, I'd give you a piece of my mind!'

'Who are you talking to?' Denzel's interested now too.

'You better get back here soon!'

'Is that Cloud?' Marlene's voice booms in. Does everyone want to talk to me now?

'Hey Cloud! It's Denz-'

'Cloud! The flowers are going bad-'

'Yuffie, are you on the phone with Cloud-' I remove the phone from my ear, as its getting too loud. The clerk is smiling at me, and I simply shrug.

'Quite a group you've got there.'

'Yeah.' Even with the phone a good distance away, I can hear Yuffie blabbering to me about how she's planning to hurt me.

'Hey Denz, hey Marlene. I'm alright. I'll bring you something. Can you give the phone to Tifa?'

'HEY! Why don't you say anything to me-' Yuffie gets cut off.

'Hi Cloud.'

'Hey.'

'Something the matter?'

'Nothing. Yuffie tells me you had something planned earlier.' She is silent for a moment, most likely glaring at Yuffie.

'No Cloud, it's nothing. Really-'

'She was planning to take you out earlier-' Yuffie's voice is muffled away, and I hear the children laughing.

'Don't listen to her,' Tifa giggles.

_'She wanted to take me out earliler?'_

'Yeah, I know.'

'When are you coming home?'

'Tommorow, before evening.'

'For sure?'

'For sure.'

'Okay.'

'Why'd you ask?'

'Uhm...' she hesitates.

'SHE WANTS TO TAKE YOU -' the young girl is silenced again by the kids. I can't help but laugh.

'You know Tifa, you could have just asked.'

'No, but your job is important.'

'Not as much as you think.' Well actually, it can be. Not as important as her though.

'Cloud...'

'We can go out tomorrow if you want.' There is a pause, and the only sound I can hear is Yuffie's girly screaming! I start to get a bit worried, since Tifa hasn't responded yet...

'I'd love to.' And that's when it hit me. She'd _love_ to. She rarely ever says 'love', ever. It's usually very meaningful when the word is said. The last time I heard her say 'love' was when she was talking about her family last week at the front steps. So what does this mean? She'd love to go out, or she'd love to be with me?

'Cloud, I'm gonna put the kids to bed.' Denzel and Marlene groan in the background. I break my chain of thought, losing track of time.

'Alright. I'll see you.'

'Yeah, I'll be waiting.' And our conversation ends. I look to the clerk, who already placed the necklace in its appropriate box. He shifts it across the counter towards me with a smile.

_'I should have done this a long time ago.'_

'I'll take it.'

xxxxx

I smile, feeling the weight of the gift in my pocket. It's the only thing keeping me smiling in my current circumstances. The rebuilt Mideel only had one inn, and it was full. Curse my luck. The innkeeper told me to go west through the forest, and there should be a number of small towns, likely to have an inn. Which brings me here, driving west through the dark and solitary forest. I continue driving, searching for signs of civilization when -

A scream. I screech to a halt, and jerk my head around towards the source. Beyond the trees, I can faintly make out ...a person. The person was being taken away, dragged along the forest floor. Dragged by a creature that I cannot see. The screams come again, and I turn Fenrir on its heels, speeding after them. After shortening the distance, I can see them with more clarity. It was the boy from earlier, the one who gave me the envelope - the one with Geostigma. And he wasn't being dragged by a single creature; he was being taken by three familiar, black creatures. I still can't identify them though. The boy was being carried on the back of the center beast, with the other two surrounding. The group makes a sharp right, and I follow.

I stop abruptly, realizing where the path leads. A cave. I can barely make out the jagged terrain beyond the darkness. I step off of my bike, opening the weapons compartment. I pack all six of them. Another scream echoes out of the cave entrance. I take a deep breath, and run inside.

_'There's no way I'm letting that kid die.'_

There's something different about this cave. There is a strangely ominous feel that separates this cave from the other caves I've explored. I'm glad I packed all my swords with me. The cave itself is a bit different - there a number of luminous stalagmites hanging from the ceiling, and the paths are much more complex. It's as if someone's used this cave before for some kind of hideout. Left and right I go, but the screams don't get any closer. Feeling a bit apprehensive (I have yet to encounter any creatures), I pick up the pace. I arrive in a large area, filled with glowing stalagmites and luminous puddles. Upon closer inspection, I realize exactly what it is - Lifestream. I look around the area, astonished by the amount of Mako flowing in and out of invisible crevices. I hear another scream, and rush through a narrow path in pursuit. Left and right, so many tunnels and options. Too many.

Eventually, I find the place. You wouldn't believe what I saw. An immensely large area, riddled with Mako puddles. The walls were no longer made of rock - they were made of large, brilliant blue crystals. A river of Lifestream gushes rapidly along the far end of the room, giving the crystals near it a strange glow. Directly in front of the river, was the boy. He was doubled over in pain, and crying in agony and fear. Surrounding him, were three familiar men. And surrounding them, were a multitude of black, shadowy beasts. How many were there? A couple dozen? Three dozen? It was almost a frightening sight.

I crush a rock beneath my feet, effectively making my presence known. Everyone turns around to face me. It was then that I knew, upon recognizing the familiar black creatures and the three familiar faces, that something terrible was going to happen. The three begin laughing maniacally, the beasts howling and growling with them. Instinctively, I grab a couple swords off of my back.

'Welcome, brother.'

xxxxx

Chapter 5 - End

Who are the three men?

What do they plan on doing?

What is this cave?

What other secrets are hidden here?

Why am I asking you all these questions? Find out next time.

I apologize to those who thought this story would be all lovey-dovey CloTi. This is a Romance/Adventure story after all.

Speaking of adventure, the story finally gets into full swing. Some of you may be able to answer the questions above, some of you may not. That's okay, cause' all will be explained in due time. Just keep reading! Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter ~

Don't forget to Review!  
Special thanks to Orcath and xPhiieebeex, your reviews brighten my day.


	6. Those Who Fight

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations - Those Who Fight

'Welcome, brother.'

The words resonate within my mind. It can't possibly be _them._ The grip on my blades tighten.

'What's wrong, brother? Why don't you say anything?' The trio takes a step towards me, making their faces more clear.

The first thing I saw was their silver hair. The dreaded color. My stomach clenches the more I look at it. But then, with a clearer view, I notice their faces. It's not _them._ Realization dawned on me, and while my previous fears have gone away, they were just as easily replaced with newer, more mysterious fears.

'_What the hell is going on here?'_

The one in the middle whirls around, and kicks the injured teen, knocking him closer to the river of Lifestream. He turns again to face me, and releases a maniacal laugh. A laugh so intense and pure, it's disturbing. He laughs his cold heart out, while the injured young man spits out black liquid, unable to move and gasping for breath. Unforgivable. The trio takes another step closer, fully exposing themselves in the cave's light.

The man on the very left is a big, bulky, giant of a man. His short, curly hair has grown thin and silver from the last time we met. He glowers at me with intense ferocity, his glowing green eyes glazed over with vengeance. His gigantic shoulders rise and fall sharply as he contains his fury. In his hands, he carries a gigantic, obsidian-black hammer, trimmed with silver patterns on its handle. He swings the hammer around, bringing it upright with both hands in a very intimidating battle stance. His veins and muscles seem ready to burst out of his body, blending well with the many scars on his exposed chest. But the most noticeable detail is the bandage that wraps around his torso, no more than three times, and the hint of black behind it. He looked every bit the storybook giant that ravages cities and decimates heroes.

The one on the right was much more calm and composed, yet his eyes show that he is no less evil. His hair has also grown thin and silvery from our last encounter. He wears his fine tuxedo informally, with the buttons of his jacket and his shirt undone, revealing his chest that is also riddled with scars. His matching pants are worn loosely, billowing very softly to an invisible breeze. He reaches into his jacket, a hint of bandages beneath his loose sleeves, and pulls out a double barreled shotgun. Its barrels are short, probably sawed off. The serrated ends look as sharp as knives. He toys with the gun, spinning the trigger around his index finger. Eventually, he brings the gun to point in my direction, his glowing green eyes in sharp, hawk-like focus. But of course, he is no gallant hawk - the evil radiating from his eyes gives him the look of a green-eyed raven.

And finally, the man in the middle. His face is contorted, twisted. The laughter that escapes his mouth, set like the wicked grin of a maniac, resonates evil. Even his movements are strange; his body moves to the insane laughter with unnatural fluency. His back, arms, and legs bend abnormally. His clothing is also very tight, highlighting red and blue veins against his pale skin. It's a grotesque sight. He brings both of his bandaged arms above his silver hair, in some fluid manner that's almost like a ritual. Then, his glowing green eyes go wide, locking mine in its gaze. And he laughs again.

This was the strange man from Edge, who sent me to Kalm for a delivery. A delivery to his brother, the man on the right, who also said that he'd 'take care' of the man who tried to steal my bike. The man who stole my bike, the one whom I fought with, the man on the left. So they're all connected. It's only been a little over a week since I saw them, yet they look so different. They all have silver hair. They all have glowing green eyes. They all have _Transformed._

The multitude of black creatures suddenly vanishes, leaving behind wisps of black smoke. I take my stance, ready for an attack from all sides. But nothing happens.

'Relax,' says the man in the middle. 'We have plenty of time to have fun.' His suited brother makes a movement.

'We have some,' he stretches his arms around, gun in hand. 'Unfinished business.'

'I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!' I can feel the vibrations as the giant releases some anger through thunderous roars. And then he charges.

Being experienced as I am, I can roughly tell how strong an attack will be even from a distance. Looking at this giant as he charges me head on, I can tell his attack is probably going to hurt. I fumble with my blades as I try to fuse all six of them together. He's closing in fast. The thunder of his feet gets louder as the distance between us shortens. The shadow of his massive hammer is over me, and then -

_Contact. _I managed to fuse all six of my blades in time, backing it with all the physical strength I can muster. The ground beneath my feet cracks under the intense pressure of the giant's hammer. The wind from his swing is strong, enough to make me squint. He's surprised; I managed to stop his attack completely, but it's taking a lot of effort. I can't afford to waste this much energy every time I defend an attack from him. With a little more effort, I push his hammer back. But he quickly recovers, and swings the massive hammer again. There's no way anyone can swing a hammer that size so quickly. I was caught completely off guard, and I barely manage to cover my face with my own giant blade. Of course, it isn't enough. He sends me flying.

Somehow, I manage to recover. I flip myself mid-flight, and brace my legs as they make impact on a crystal wall. The wall cracks under the pressure of the attack. I push off rather forcefully, sending me flying back towards the giant. This time, he's the one off guard. He probably wasn't expecting me to recover in mid-air either. He is slow in bracing himself, and I can see an opening-

Instinctively, I swing to my right, blocking the well-aimed bullets. The suited man is running towards me, shooting a continuous barrage of dense slugs. I block them all, but I can't block the giant fist aimed at my torso. The fact that I was flying towards it also made it a bit more painful. The enormous man grabs hold of my shirt, and flings me to the side, where I hit the wall _hard._ I look up to see the two approaching fast. I divide my sword into two, and charge at them as well.

Swing left, swing right - both men seem to be blocking my attacks proficiently. I continue my chain of slashes and thrusts, but none ever hit. These guys are good. Eventually, the gunman lands a kick, which sends me back a pretty good distance. There's no way I can beat them if I don't take this up a couple notches. I take some time to gather myself, feeling my senses sharpen a bit. With a new level of focus, I charge at them again.

This time, I seem to have a slight advantage. My attacks are a bit faster and stronger, and they seem to be putting more effort to defend themselves. Eventually, I manage to push the gunman back, sending him flying away towards a wall. Now, I focus both of my blades on the big man, who seems to have much more difficulty blocking two smaller swords rather than one big sword. Moving his gigantic hammer around to block my two blades is tiring him out a bit, and I brushed the top of his head with one of my blades. He decides to take a shot on offense, and swings heavily. I used both blades to block, but I was sent back anyway.

I back-flip in mid-air, bringing my blades in front of me to block the incoming bullets. The gunman continues shooting heavy slugs, jumping off columns of rock. Eventually, my back is to the crystal wall, and I push myself off of it to meet the incoming bullets. I block all of these, and take a swing at the gunman. It's a near-miss, but I managed to rip his jacket open. He jumps off of the crystal wall as well, shooting in my direction. Suddenly, I bounce off a rock, one I didn't know was there. I jerk my head around, and I was barely able to dodge the massive hammer swing, feeling the wind of it above my head. I jump away from him, but not completely unscathed. I tug on my left arm, feeling a wound. A dense slug made contact with my arm, but it didn't hit completely, much to my relief. I wouldn't last long if I couldn't use both arms.

I pick up my pace, making my way back to the river of Lifestream. The strange man, whom I have yet to fight, is dragging the injured teen into the river. I was about to make my way to them, when another bullet whizzed by ear. They caught up to me quick. I whirl around, spotting the gunman running towards me, no longer wearing his ripped jacket. The hulking man was right behind him, moving with surprising speed for his size. I tighten my grip on my blades, and lunge at them.

I miss a vertical slash, leaving a small crater on the ground. The gunman, now very close, aims his shotgun at my head. I'm quick to duck, and I swing left towards his legs. He's quick to jump, and goes for a vertical kick. I roll over to the side, and swing right towards the other man. He blocked my blade easily enough with his hammer, and he brushed off my attack. Both men leap at the same time, going for a dual-attack. I crouch for some stability, and bring both blades above my head. The pressure of their attacks is intense. The ground beneath me cracks, and I can feel myself going a couple inches into the ground. But I'm not going to let up. Both men unleash a frenzy of hammer strikes and vertical kicks, while I swing hard with both arms to negate their attacks. Eventually, a kick lands hard on my shoulder, and that was enough to give the other an opening. I held up my right blade to block, but his swing is just too powerful. It sends me to another wall of crystal, shattering upon impact. I shoot a glance up, only to see a ball of flame escaping the gunman's free hand. I would have blocked that giant fireball, but I had to block another hammer swing with both blades instead. The giant man backed away just in time, leaving me alone to take the fireball.

On all fours, I try to catch my breath. It's late at night, I just took a giant fireball, and it's two-on one. At this rate, I really am going to die. A maniacal laugh fills the dense air, and I look up. There, in the middle of the Lifestream river, the strange man howls in pleasure. At his feet, the teen is choking and thrashing about, gushing out black from his infected areas. I get up quickly and rush towards them.

_'I can't let him die. I don't want more innocent blood on my hands.'_ After gathering myself, I jump between the giant and the gunman, spinning my blade around me in an exhausting defensive maneuver. It worked. After passing by the two, I run towards the glowing river, jumping here and there to avoid the slugs rushing from behind me. The strange man turns around, but doesn't make a move. I leap towards him, preparing to slash vertically.

And I go flying towards another wall. The giant _somehow_ managed to catch up to me, despite of his size. He grabbed hold of my foot and spun me around, sending me flying to another crystal wall. The glowing blue crystals shattered, leaving behind bare stone. I recover quickly, and look up. The next moment, I'm up against the stone cold wall, held up by the neck. As I stare into the bulky man's eyes, an unfamiliar fear creeps into me. This man could kill me right this minute. All he has to do is squeeze my neck a bit tighter, and I'll be in his mercy. The fear amplifies as I feel his fingers digging into my dry throat-

'Stop,' interrupts someone from behind. The suited man appears. 'No need for that yet. Do this for now.' And the shorter man kicks my side. The giant makes a happy noise, and punches my face with his free hand.

'Does that feel good, punk?' Both men unleash a barrage of attacks, while I remain gripped by the neck to take everything. The blows continue, and my thoughts start to go blank. There is a pause, and I look up only to receive an extra powerful punch to the face. Then he winds up again for another devastating blow. I've had enough. With as much focus as I can muster, I look deep within myself, searching for the primal part of me. _The fighter's instinct._

'What?' both men gasp in surprise. I singlehandedly stopped the incoming blow with my left hand. I brush off his arm, and dig into his guts with the same hand. With my right, I grab the gunman and fling him away. The giant recovers quickly, and swings his hammer this time with both hands. But he is too slow. His nose begins to bleed as I land a hard blow. He staggers back further this time, and I kick him away. With both men some distance from me, I run towards my swords a few ways off, and fuse them back into one. I take a stance, gathering my energy. Then, I release it, engulfing my body in blue. The effects are immediate: my senses are sharper, and everything feels lighter. My muscles don't ache and the bruises and wounds are numb to me. With new found power, I speed towards the bulky man.

I swing my blade down heavily, and he barely manages to block it. The ground cracks beneath his feet, and I can tell that he's struggling. He pushes me off and takes a swing, but I'm quick to evade. I unleash a flurry of strikes, each increasingly powerful. I heave my blade towards him for a finish, and he's sent flying towards a wall, crystals shattering beneath the force of my attack. He seems to have lost his breath, but the gunman suddenly appears in front of him. Beneath his sleeve, there is a glowing orb of orange. Realization dawns on me, and I send a blade beam flying their way.

The pillar of flame could not defend completely against my beam. It was only able to cut it in half, and the divided beams flew by them, leaving a gaping hole on impact into another area. I'm quick to meet them, and I swing my blade with deadly force. Enough force to cut someone in half if it were to hit them. But the gunman is agile, and jumped into one of the holes to avoid. The other, not so much. He managed to block my attack, at the expense of damaging his hammer's hilt. I sent him flying into the other hole, and I rush in after them.

This new room is pitch black, the only light coming from my radiating blue energy. I can feel it depleting soon, I need to finish these two off or else things get very difficult. My sharpened hearing picks up a noise, and I launch a barrage of blade beams towards the source. Pillars of stone collapse, the walls break, and eventually, I make contact with someone. I rush towards the giant man, and swing my blade heavily. He stops it, but this time, he does not struggle. I stare into his eyes, and I can tell why; he's even angrier than before.

We exchange blows and strikes, neither of us making successful contact with the other. I run back to the previous room, and he matches my speed. We continue exchanging blows, yet to land any successful ones. If strength or speed won't work, I'll just have to outmaneuver him. I feign an attack, and flip over his head, striking him in mid-air. I land behind him and heave my blade around, knowing that he's in an awkward position to defend. I can see an opening...

And I'm sent flying again, burns on my side. The gunman appears again, and begins shooting some flaming slugs. I block them all easily enough, but I'm not prepared for his next attack. I leapt backwards considerably, but that was barely enough. The gunman makes a motion with his free hand, glowing orange materia beneath his sleeve, and an enormous pillar of flame erupts. The flame is so thick, I can't see anything through it.

I decide to leave the area altogether, and look for the injured teen. It isn't too hard to find him; he's sprawled on the floor on the far side of the room. Only problem is, my blue energy is no longer engulfing me, and the exhaustion from earlier is starting to settle back in. I wince as I carry the boy on his back, my entire body sore. I only managed a few steps before I realized where I was standing. The river of Lifestream is here - but it doesn't glow green. Instead, the liquid is black, and wisps of black vapor lie on the surface. The vapor turns into a mist, and it starts to circle around me. What came next was a complete surprise.

It's just like the black mist from my nightmares. At first, I thought it would go straight through me and engulf everything in darkness. I was half right. My vision turned black, but the mist didn't simply go through me. It went _in _me. It seeped through my wounds, was absorbed by my skin, and I can feel it coursing through my body. The pain was so sharp, I ended up throwing the teen in shock. At least he landed on the ground, away from this _thing._ Every muscle and cut on my body screams in pain, and it's very difficult to move. I look up to see a silhouette - a towering figure, wielding a hammer above his head, with wisps of black smoke engulfing his body. Another silhouette appears, shorter and with a less threatening stance. But his glowing green eyes say otherwise; they look ready to kill. I tighten my grip on my blade for one last attempt to defend myself.

But it doesn't work. I felt the entirety of the hammer's head making contact with my chest, and all the wind was sucked out of me. I only caught a glimpse of my blade shattering before my vision went completely black. For a second, I thought I was dead, but I felt the kick to my side that came next. I know the kick wasn't as strong as the hammer, but it hurt even more. I almost wished I was dead already. Almost.

The kick sent me rolling across the shallow, black liquid, and eventually I ended up on the ground again. As I lay on my chest, I felt something pushing against my leg. With the rest of my strength, I bring out the small box from my pocket and open it. The small crystal glows a brilliant blue; it's still intact. Feeling a little bit invigorated, I roll until my back is to the ground. I'm about to place it back in my pocket when...

A sharp pain enters my arm. The gunman steps on my arm again, and then again. He nearly got me to let go of the box. Nearly. His steps turn into kicks, but it's not going to work. There's no way I'm letting it go. It's for Tifa. I'd rather die. Eventually, it seems he's had enough, since he points his gun at my arm. His finger is on the trigger...

The pain. He didn't shoot, but this was _worse._ It's as if the black mist is running through my body again, but this is far more intense. I let out a scream, which effectively stops the gunman from firing. But I'd rather have him shoot my arm off, that way there won't be as much pain from _this thing._ Eventually, I lose control of my body. It's as if I'm numb, but only from the inside. I can still feel pain; i felt the gunman kick me again, and I can feel the jagged terrain of the cave as I roll a long distance across the ground. I can't move anything at all, not a single muscle.

Lying on my chest now, I peer out with one eye; it's the only thing I can do right now. The third man appears from the darkness, laughing like a lunatic. He walks happily towards me, not a care in the world. He moves his face close to mine, and grins madly, before spitting at my face. He then takes a few steps back, and joins his 'brothers.'

'Brother, what is this?' At first I thought he was talking to me, but he's holding out his hand to the gunman. In his hand, was a small box.

'I was wondering the same thing, brother.' The giant man snatches the box from his hands, and takes a peek. The trio fill the room with grotesque laughter.

'This thing is worth a lotta gil!' The giant spits out, eyes glazed over with greed. Then, he removes the crystal necklace from the box, and grips it dangerously tight in his hand.

'But I'd rather not sell it,' he continues. 'Cause' I don't need the money anymore.'

'Yes, older brother has given us much power,' the gunman intervenes. He looks towards the third man, who continues grinning like a lunatic and nods his head feverishly.

'Remember,' he licks his lips like a snake, 'Older brother wants him dead.'

'Yes. He no longer belongs in the family.' The gunman stretches his arms.

'I'll kill 'im!' The giant raises his fist, necklace in hand, and crushes it. The crystal continues to glow, even as it falls to the ground.

If one word could describe how I'm feeling, it's _rage._ My eyes dart to my blade a couple feet away. It wasn't shattered like I thought it was; a chunk of the blade is missing, but there's still enough blade there for me to put up a good fight. Losing all feeling of pain, I rush towards it.

With fury as fuel, I strike the hulking man with immense force. His feet went more than a few inches into the ground, and I'm quick to strike again. He couldn't block my strike completely, and my blade slid off of his hilt, slashing him straight down the chest. He screamed in pain, and I launched a heavily slash across him, and he flew across the room. I gave another horizontal slash towards the gunman, who blocked using his shotgun. He used both hands for support, but I can see my blade slicing through his gun slowly. Eventually, he retreats and I leap after him.

But I didn't get far. I stop in my tracks, my body shaking as a current of electricity flows through me. I look to my left, where the third man begins to laugh and releases more bolts of lightning from both hands. It was too quick for me to stop, and I fall to my knees, feeling burnt. My fury spent, I barely have any energy left. I look up to see the a shadow, rushing at me like a rhino. I grip my blade for one last attack, and use every last piece of energy to swing.

My vision went back temporarily, and when I came to, I was surrounded by green. I landed in another river of Lifestream. In the distance, I can see a hint of black mist making its way towards me, tainting the river. Above me, is a gigantic, blue crystal. It was the lone crystal in the room, and even though I can only see from my peripherals, I can tell that it's immense. Much larger than all the other crystals I've seen in this cave. I wince as the sharp pain courses through my body again, and the black mist clouds my vision. The ground starts to shake, and I swear the crystal began to break. Three silhouettes tower menacingly over me, the outline of their bodies like a group of executioners. I'd like to think that their eyes were confused, but it's probably just me. I close my eyes as the ground starts shaking violently.

_'I'm sorry, everyone.' _Familiar faces pop into my mind, and a movie of my life begins to play in my head. My friends, my enemies, my adventures. The film stops, leaving two familiar faces in the frame.

_'I'm sorry, Denzel, Marlene.' _Their faces fade out, and my mind goes black for a moment. Eventually, a familiar woman fazes in, and the movie pauses at the frame of her face.

_'I'm sorry, Tifa. I guess this is the end for me.'_

xxxxx

'Who the hell are you?' The voice is distant.

'Explain yourself.' The sounds are getting louder and louder.

'You look like fun!' The voices seem to be at normal volume now.

'I could ask you the same thing. This is _my _cave.' This voice is unfamiliar. I feel a sudden tightening around my shoulder, and energy starts to pour in from there. I finally have the strength to open my eyes, and I notice a hand on my shoulder, glowing green energy. This person is healing me. I look below me, and the liquid is no longer black, but a vibrant green. I look up to meet the unfamiliar face. His smile is warm, a sigh of relief on my part.

'Fear not, friend. I am no enemy.' He gets up slowly.

'There is no hate, only joy  
For you are beloved by the goddess.'

I give him a confused look. What the hell is that supposed to mean? He notices my bewilderment, and gives another warm smile.

'LOVELESS, Act II. Stay here, I'll take care of these _intruders_.' He emphasized the last word. He takes a step forward, allowing me to see him more clearly.

He's practically dressed for combat. His jacket is long, similar to Sephiroth's, but it's colored a deep red rather than black. He also wears black shoulder guards, black boots, and an impressive looking sword.

'I said, who the hell are you!' The trio seems to be a bit angry now, and they each take a stance.

'It doesn't matter who I am.' The red figure raises his sword in front of him, and runs a hand smoothly along the blade. Immediately, some runic characters appeared along the sword's blade, glowing in red, before the sword itself was engulfed in some red electrical energy. The wind from the sword's energy makes his reddish brown hair billow smoothly behind him.

'You have angered the goddess with your black disease. She commands me to punish you.' The calm and composed look on his face turned into an angry scowl. And then he charges.

xxxxx

Chapter 6 - End

I hope I didn't bore or confuse you with 4000 words of fighting. This chapter was much more difficult to write than any of my other chapters. Hope you enjoyed it anyway :)

If you want to know how Cloud looks when engulfed in blue energy, you can find it in the Cloud vs. Sephiroth fight of Advent Children. It's near the end of the fight; if you watch the complete version, the energy stays for longer.

Don't forget to Review! :)


	7. Interlude

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations - Interlude

Everything happened so quickly. All I could see was a red blur, and then I had to close my eyes from the blinding flash. The cave roared and shook, thunderous blows echoing throughout the cave's entirety. I used up what little energy I had shielding my face from flying debris and the gale of wind that sprung from each attack. Blinding flashes of red and white prevented me from seeing clearly, and I could hardly hear the shouts of battle due to the resonating clashes of metal. The fight barely lasted ten seconds.

There is a pause, and I look up. The red clad swordsman took his place beside me, and the trio stood a good distance away. It's hard to tell, but they seem to be panting a bit. The gunman's shirt is ripped in a few places, the giant's hammer is chipped here and there, and the lunatic has burn marks across his bandaged forearms. His smile is still there, but this smile is much less intense and genuine. I glance back to the swordsman - he didn't break a sweat. The grip on his blade is tight, his stance stable, and his feet firmly planted in the ground, as if the ground belonged to him. This man is no ordinary fighter. I catch a movement, and I turn back to the trio. Their backs are turned, and they start to walk away into the darkness.

'Wait!' I cry out, but I regret it immediately as a pain enters my lungs. I cough roughly for a few moments, before regaining my composure.

'Playtime is over for now.'

'There's no need to stay here any longer.'

'We'll kill you all next time.'

'We got what we came for.'

_'What they came for?' _Uncertainty bubbles in my guts. The trio turn their backs once more, and walk away casually. Their cold gaze never left my eyes, and I can't help but think that they were smiling. Their outlines disappear into the shadows, leaving me alone with the red clad swordsman. I look up towards him, searching for answers. He meets my gaze.

'What's someone like you doing in my cave in the middle of the night?' He raises his brow questioningly, stooping down to my level. He puts a hand on my shoulder, radiating green energy, and I feel the familiar sensation flowing into me like a slow stream of health.

'I was...saving a kid!' Realization dawns on me, and I make to get up. My movements are stopped though, a sharp pain piercing into me.

'Stay still. You've suffered immense injuries, inside and out. My healing will help, but it won't be enough.'

'But the kid-'

'Don't worry. He will be safe for the time being. This is no ordinary cave, the Lifestream is great here, and it does more to people than simply glow.' He looks me seriously in the eye.

'It can heal, but it can also harm as well.' He eyes a giant gash across the side of my chest, where the black mist from earlier seeped through the most.

'Is something going to happen to me?' I ask him.

'I don't know. The Lifestream is capable of many things. Time will tell, but for now I will do what I can.' I give him a small smile, a sign of my gratitude. He helps me get up slowly, wrapping my arm around his shoulders, and we walk slowly towards the entrance of the cave.

It's only a few steps before I spot my sword. Needless to say, I was heartbroken. My Fusion Swords, all six of them fused together, and it still wasn't enough. Remnants of the giant blade lie scattered in front of me, a minefield of sharp objects. Well, they're not sharp anymore. I take one last look at the heap, before coming to a painful conclusion: they are broken beyond repair. I can't imagine how much it's going to cost me to get a stronger set of blades. Speaking of which...

'Damn!' I curse under my breath, feeling a tingle of rage. I jerk my head around, searching for any signs of a vibrant, luminous crystal. There are bright, luminous objects everywhere - my broken sword, shards of crystal from the caves, the puddles of water shining under the moonlight. But there is no sign of the refined, brilliant blue crystal that I had bought for Tifa. Sigh.

'Something the matter?'

'Yeah. I bought something before I came here, but it's gone. It was a bit expensive...' He gives off a small laugh.

'It was a gift then?' How did he know?

'I saw them breaking some sort of jewelery. That was your gift am I correct?' I nod slowly.

'I'm sorry then. I know what it's like to lose gifts.' His eyes look distant for a moment.

'Don't be disheartened though. Just keep your hopes up, and don't let other things blind you. Maybe your gift isn't lost at all - maybe it'll be replaced by an even better gift...' His voice trails off, his reddish brown eyes distant once again.

'What?' I ask incredulously. He seems to shake out of his thoughts.

'Sorry,' he starts. 'I haven't had company for a _while_. I forget myself sometimes. That's something a good friend of mine would say. He talks a lot about faith, hope, dreams, and honor - that kind of stuff. It's kind of gotten to me.' He gives a quick laugh.

We manage a few paces before -

'Hey!' The young male voice sounds in the distance. The calls continue, getting closer. Eventually, the injured teen from earlier is jogging towards us. His face and clothes are still in ruin, but his body seems to be holding up really well.

'How do you feel?' Asks the red swordsman.

'Good, thanks. I was in the Lifestream, and I heard voices. They were saying that you wanted me healed, and then it just happened!' He waves his arms around. This is not the boy from earlier, quiet and cold. He notices the look I gave him.

'I'm sorry about earlier... Mr... Strife. I wasn't feeling to well. I had the stigma...' he begins unwrapping some bandages from around his arms.

'But now it's gone! I haven't been so happy in a long time, and it's all thanks to you!' He points towards the red swordsman, who returns a warm smile.

'I'm sorry but...I don't know what to call you.' Come to think of it, I don't know this guy's name either!

'Yeah, what's your name?' We stop in our tracks, and he looks at me incredulously. But he smiles and laughs shortly.

'I thought knew. We've met before after all.'

'What?' Speaking of which, he _does _seem a bit familiar. Like I've seen him from my distant memories.

'I should've known. You were a mess back then.' I still don't know what he's talking about.

'SOLDIER, 1st Class, Genesis Rhapsodos. When we met, you were...blank. Your friend Zack was carrying you.'

'Oh.' So it was _back then_.

'He was a good man. Good friend of mine.' I smile softly. Zack's a great man, and my best friend.

'WOW! A SOLDIER? 1st Class too?' The young teen is livid with excitement now. Me and Genesis exchange looks, and have a quick laugh.

'I suppose,' Genesis states with a hint of pride. 'Why don't you help Cloud on his other side? The sooner we get him out of here the better.'

'Alright.' The young teen makes his way to my left, his long black hair brushing my arm before firmly placing it around his shoulders too.

'I thought you would've known, Cloud. At first, I thought _you_ were a SOLDIER. Even though it's late and you looked exhausted, your fighting was still worthy of 1st Class. It was impressive.' He gives me a soft pat on the back.

'I never made SOLDIER.'

'Yes, I remember. If I'm correct, you were just an infantryman?' I slowly nod my head, trying not to show my embarrassment.

'Don't worry. The title doesn't matter as much as the ability I think.' We continue walking towards the entrance, talking of the events that took place earlier. But suddenly, the ground begins to pulse. The cave's exit is only a few areas away, and I can hear many voices.

'Kid, take Cloud over there by the wall, beside that glowing crystal.' He points towards a large, brilliant blue mass. 'And stay there.'

He grabs hold of his sword, and takes a stance, voices and footsteps coming closer and closer. Eventually, a shadow can be seen in the far corner of the room.

'CLOUD!'

'Cloud!'

'Oi!'

It was Yuffie, Tifa, and Cid. Needless to say, I was surprised. But all of my attention is pointed towards the woman in the middle, and the look of terror on her face. She eyes me up and down, then looks towards Genesis with eyes of cold steel. Yuffie and Cid seem to be doing the same. Genesis steals a glance towards me, and he must have read the look on my face. He sticks his sword into the ground, a promise not to hurt any of them, and dodges Yuffie's swinging shuriken with ease. He continues dancing about, dodging incoming fists, projectiles, kicks, and spears. I should stop this before it gets out of control, but I begin coughing uncontrollably. Curse my luck.

'Daniel!' The woman's cry catches everyone's attention, and all the fighting stops. The blond woman cuts right through the battlefield, towards me. I'm confused at first, but as the young man makes his way towards the woman, I see the resemblance. They catch each other in a heartwarming spectacle of a hug, everyone eyeing each other with confusion. Genesis smiles at the group, and shrugs towards his recent enemies. Then he walks towards me, but Tifa beats him to it.

Tifa crouches down to my level, and pulls me in for a tight hug. Genesis stops right in front of us, and Tifa suddenly takes a protective stance, grabbing hold of my arm. It's touching, but annoying too.

'Tifa, it's alright.' I assure her with a squeeze to her hand. Genesis has even placed his hands in front of his face, looking completely innocent minus his threatening equipment and blood red clothing. Yuffie and Cid are at my side now too, giving Genesis a cut-eye stare. Sigh.

'Guys, seriously. He saved me, he's a friend.' Genesis looked slightly taken aback at first, but then smiles genuinely. Anyone who calls Zack a friend is a friend of mine. Tifa gives Yuffie a light elbow, beckoning her for an apology. She holds her hands out as well, effectively embarrassed. She's really cute when she does that.

'We're really sorry, we were only worried for Cloud.' She gives a quick bow, then then grips my arm.

'What the hell? I thought you had no friends but us.' Yuffie questions.

'Seriously.' I hold up my right hand, far enough for Genesis to reach. He grabs it firmly, and helps pull me to my feet again. I lean against Tifa, wrapping my arm around her shoulder for support. Well not really, I've been healed enough to walk on my own. But nobody knows that, I'm just taking advantage of my badly injured look. Tifa seemed to notice this too, but she doesn't do anything about it. In fact, she seems to be blushing a bit. Her body leans closer against me, and a playful bump from her hip draws a smile out from me.

'Fine, you have friends. But what the hell are you doing in this deathtrap?' Cid spits.

'It's not a deathtrap.' Genesis states matter-of-factly. The tone of his voice is rather cold. 'This is the Banora Underground, my lair and the only thing left of my hometown.' Suddenly the room goes quiet.

'...Sorry,' Cid states finally, embarrassed.

'It's not a problem.'

'Let's just get outta here already!' Yuffie snaps loudly. There is a murmur of agreement. We eventually walk out of the entrance, where I find my bike still intact and being taken away by Cid's crew, towards the Shera just beyond the treeline. I stop and turn on my heels, noticing that Genesis is still by the entrance. In his hand, he holds a small, white apple.

'How about you?' I ask. He takes a step towards me, throwing the apple into the air and catching it like a second nature movement. He places it into my palm.

'My time has not come to leave this place, but it comes soon. We will meet again, but not for a while. Please,' he points towards the white fruit in my hands, then towards a set of trees bearing the same colored fruit. 'Take some of these with you, a souvenir from Banora.'

'Thank you,' replies Tifa warmly, eyeing the strange trees with interest. Something tells me we're going to be having more apple pies when we get home. I smile.

'Cloud,' Genesis starts, 'take care of yourself in the meantime.' I nod in agreement.

'Yeah.' He then brings a fist in front of his mouth, and coughs dramatically. Cid and Barret raise their brows, and I'm tempted to do the same. He pulls out a small book from behind him, entitled 'LOVELESS.'

'When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end  
the Goddess descends from the sky,'

He closes the book abruptly, and dons a serious look.

'And I will be at her right hand.' He smiles and places the book back into its place, his reddish brown hair blowing softly in the forest breeze. He gives all of us a wave goodbye.

'Take care, friends.' And he disappears into the darkness. I stretch out my arms, yawning.

'Let's get out of here guys,' I pause and spare a look at Tifa, her cheeks slightly rosy. 'I could use a good sleep.' I squeeze her shoulder, tickling her a bit as she laughs silently. She playfully bumps me with her hip, her eyes glowing. We both smile, the kind of smile that we reserve only for each other.

xxxxx

I haven't slept like this in a _while_. My body is warm and comfortable, the aches and pains barely noticeable. I tighten my grip onto whatever it is I'm holding, giving me more warmth. My thoughts are blank, the only concern being this comfort. I take a deep breath, and stay like this a little while longer. Eventually, my mind awakes enough, and I take some time to recognize my surroundings.

Familiar voices can be heard in the distance. An engine buzzes faintly. Soft footsteps are muffled by the closed wooden door. Very slightly, I can feel my body tilting to the right, then returning to its original lying position. A familiar smell is pressed up against my nose. I listen a bit more intently, and I notice: I am not the only one in this room. I open my eyes slowly.

At first, all I see is black; it feels warm against my cheeks. I take another deep breath, recognizing the smell and the feel of the fabric. There is a slight movement, and I push myself up.

It was Tifa. I rub at my eyes a bit, clearing my vision. Yep, it's Tifa. More specifically, her chest. _I was sleeping on her chest._ My entire face grew hot, and I honestly started to sweat a little. I looked up, seeing Tifa with the same expression. Her face is cast in the shadow of my head, but the embarrassed expression on her face is still noticeable, with or without the color. Quickly, I roll myself off of her, back turned so as to not embarrass myself further.

'I'm sorry Tifa,' I say quickly. I rub my forehead, wiping away a single sweat drop. She doesn't respond. Oh no.

'Tifa...?' Still no response. I turn around slowly, fully expecting a punch in the face or something similar.

'H-Hey!' A hand is pressed up on her mouth, stifling a laugh. My nervousness leaves me, seeing the look of joy on her face.

'I'm sorry?' I tell her. I don't really know what to expect.

'Cloud, don't worry. You were sleeping, I'm not gonna get mad or anything.' She smiles a sheepish smile, and I return it.

'Yeah,' I start. I want to ask 'What are you doing here?' but that sounds way too rude.

'How did...' I trail off, not knowing how to ask politely. She catches me struggling, and interrupts.

'No Cloud, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here anyway, Cid said not to bother you or anything since you're recovering. I couldn't help myself though.' I smile at that, beckoning her to continue.

'You didn't seem to be sleeping very well, you were sweating. So I grabbed a wet cloth for you.' She points towards the bedside table, where a damp cloth lay inside a metal bowl.

'Thank you,' I say sincerely. She might have blushed a bit.

'Yeah. Anyways, I was really tired too, it was just past midnight and we came a long way to try and rescue you.' So they knew I was in trouble earlier. But how?

'I'll tell you about it later,' she reads my mind. 'But I must have fallen asleep on your bed or something like that...' she trails off, playing with a few strands of her hair. She usually does this when she's lying. Still, I smile. It's touching to know how much she cares about me. And that...she's willing to...sleep with me...yeah you get it.

'And when I woke up, you were...you were just...' she fumbles with her hands, but gives up on relaying her message. I get it though, I just ended up on her chest somehow.

'Yeah, I get it.' Her laugh is hearty, and I scratch the back of my head. Slowly I get up, and stretch out, before heading towards the Shera's Guest Room door.

'Where are you going?' She calls from the bed.

'I think I'll head out to the others. Come with me.'

'I don't think that's a good idea. It's 5 in the morning, Yuffie's obviously out cold throwing up, and most of the crew are still asleep. And you know how Cid gets at this time, very... unsociable.' She smiles.

'You're right.' Heading back towards her, I smile. I sit cross-legged on the bed, facing her.

'Let's talk for a while. I missed you Cloud.'

xxxxx

And so we talked. Well I did most of it, but she was the perfect audience. I told her about the young man who had the stigma, how he was dragged into a cave, and how I ran in recklessly to save him.

'Being a hero again huh, Cloud?' She smiles at me.

And then I told her about the trio, and how they had become deformed from the last time we met.

'Sounds suspicious,' she scratches her chin, very detective-like. 'Very suspicious.' I nod in agreement.

Next, I told her about my battle, in great detail might I add. Being the perfect audience that she is, she 'ooh'-ed and 'aah'-ed whenever my story called for it.

'Cloud! That must've really hurt! Here...' she moves in close to me, and lays a hand on my bandaged chest. She gently traced the cuts, and eventually stopped at the large bandage covering the gash on my side. Throughout the entire process, I didn't take a single breath.

And then I told her about the black mist, its relation to my nightmares, and how it entered the very wound she was holding, coursing through my body like a parasite. How I felt during those moments, helpless and bloody and beaten. How I had almost died after.

'Cloud...' her eyes lock into mine, and they're full of hurt and disappointment and guilt.

'Was it that bad?' I know what she's thinking - she wishes that she got there earlier, and maybe I wouldn't have gotten hurt the way I did. I'm tempted to say 'it wasn't that bad,' just to make her feel a bit better. But I know it's not true, and I just can't lie about this.

'Yeah,' her expression darkens even more. 'It was _that _bad. It was like fighting Sephiroth...except there was no Sephiroth.' I trail off, my mind wandering.

_'Could it be, that they...'_

'Cloud!' She pulls me into a tight, meaningful embrace. 'I'm so sorry.' Her eyes are watery, much to my dismay. I won't have her crying over my weakness.

'Tifa, it's alright.' I look her straight in the eye, making my statement clear. 'It was really nice of you to try and save me, really. But honestly, those guys were on another level. If you came before Genesis did, I wouldn't be able to keep my promise...again.'

She blinks, eyes still watery. But then she smiles, and rubs her cheeks against my torso once more. I grab hold of her, and we stay like this for a few moments.

'How did you know I was in trouble anyway?' The question has been burning in my mind.

'Oh, about that...'

She then gives me a long explanation of the preceding events. Remember the woman from Junon who sent me for the delivery? She actually had an idea of what was going to happen to me. I was furious at first, but Tifa quickly explained. The three men had threatened to kill her little brother, the young man who had the stigma, if she didn't send me over there. That's probably why she kept delaying the delivery. She called Tifa and told her everything a couple hours after she called to change the pickup location.

'I wasn't really sure what to make of it. But I closed the bar and called Cid anyway, and she picked her up on the way to getting me. I was really worried about you, and when Yuffie called you earlier you seemed to be fine. But still, I'd rather not risk your life.' She grins, and I give her a grateful smile.

'She showed us to the village, and when her brother was missing, she figured that they took him to the cave. Says the cave's been there for ages, and rumored to be the base of a powerful warrior, according to the villagers anyway.'

'Genesis.'

'I guess. Hey, you said he was...your friend.' She tilts her head slightly, questioning me.

'I'll explain.'

And so I did. I told her all that I knew about him. How he's a SOLDIER 1st Class, and he mysteriously disappeared. Our vague meeting on the way to Midgar. And my reasons for calling him a 'friend.'

'You know Cloud,' her expression is playful. 'You're not as cold as people think you are.' I give her a small smile, not sure of what to say.

'If you say so.'

'Seriously! I wish I had a friend as good as Zack is to you...'

'You do have one. And I have another just as good as Zack too.'

'What?' I look her in the eye, and smile softly.

'Wait...you don't mean...'

'It's you, Tifa. Who else could it be?' Her smile is large and joyous, and she leans into me for another meaningful embrace.

'You're really sweet Cloud. That's another thing people don't really know.'

'I guess so.'

'So, you said that I have someone like Zack in my life. Who would that be?' I chuckle.

'You have a lot. Everyone in AVALANCHE, and many of your regulars I'm sure would totally _die_ for you.' I say sarcastically, and she playfully slaps my arm.

'But if you want a real answer...' I grip her hand unconsciously.

'There's no way I'm going back on my promise. Even if I have to die.' Immediately, her cheeks redden.

'No you wouldn't...'

'I've done that a lot of times already haven't I? You know, risk my life to save you.' I give her a smile, recalling these instances.

'Cloud...' she rubs her face into my chest. 'Stop it, you're gonna make me cry.'

'Go right ahead.' She brings her face up to my level again, and sticks out her tongue. Which leads us to quiet laughter.

'Thank you, Cloud. That was fun.' I look to the hanging clock on the wall; we've been talking for over two hours. The sun's rays have already pierced the window blinds. I turn back to face Tifa, only to find her face directly in front of mine.

And she kisses my cheek. It was short, soft, and sweet, but meaningful all the same. She pulls away quickly, leaving me stunned in a mess of thoughts. She's already at the door by the time I regain my composure, waiting for me. I grab a plain white t-shirt from the corner of the bed (courtesy of Cid Highwind), and make my way to the door as I put it on. As we walk hand in hand towards the main deck, I can't help but think.

The recent events were like questions, for a very unexpected and difficult test. Needless to say, I probably failed. I squeeze Tifa's hand, drawing a smile from her. A new objective forms in my mind: I need answers, and I need them soon. I'll get them soon. With everything that's been happening recently, no doubt something strange and big and unexpected is happening. More tests lie ahead, I just know it. And I can't afford to fail. Otherwise, I might never see that wonderful smile on her face ever again.

xxxxx

Chapter 7 - End

I apologize for this update being a few days late, I had some trouble with my router (fixed it! :D)

I honestly had no idea what to call this chapter, and it seemed like an 'interlude' within the story, so that's exactly what I called it.  
Some of you may have noticed, but many chapters are named after songs from the Final Fantasy universe (except this and chapter 1+2). Just thought I'd let you know, cause' I usually listen to those songs while I'm writing the chapter. Maybe you should read the chapter with it too :)

Anyways, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll ask that you please review; hits and visitors aren't enough to really let me know how I'm doing with this story. Especially since it's my first.

Readers who have not played Crisis Core: Cloud and Zack encounter Genesis on their way to Midgar, while Cloud is still suffering from intense Mako poisoning. That's what Genesis is referring to when he says that Cloud was 'blank' when they first met. Just thought I'd clear that up.

Thanks for Reading!


	8. Ahead On Our Way

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations - Ahead On Our Way

'Cloud, help me with these?' Tifa places a heap of dishes into the sink, breaking a mild sweat.

'Sure.' I roll up my sleeves, and set to work. It's the second day of my two-week break, and it hasn't been good. The only thing I've done so far is explain my story to people, and stay home and help Tifa. Not that it's a bad thing - Tifa deserves all of my help and much more than that. But after the events that took place a couple days ago, I've been aching for answers. Sure, Reeve and the WRO are 'looking into it,' but that isn't really enough. I'd be damned if something terrible were to happen and I didn't do anything to try and stop it beforehand.

Tifa bumps into me, breaking my chain of thought, and I return my focus on the task at hand. Not that I really need the focus, I've been washing dishes long enough now to do it absentmindedly. But Tifa can probably do this while sleeping. Simply the way she moves around the kitchen is astounding - she can cook, clean, organize, take orders - everything really, and she makes it look so easy. I'll bet she can move around with her eyes closed too. I smile.

_'At least she's with me right now.'_

And that's how the day progressed. Tifa gives the orders, I simply follow them. At first, she set me to cut vegetables. You'd think that I'd be good with a knife, right? Wrong. I couldn't cut vegetables if my life depended on it (cut them properly anyway). It was embarrassing, really. It was so bad that Tifa didn't get mad at me, she ended up laughing instead. I'm never cutting vegetables again.

Next, she assigned me to wash dishes. Simple enough, it's what I was doing the previous day. Soap, scrub, rinse, wipe, repeat. It got boring after a while, but thankfully, she sent me outside to pick up the kids from school. God I love her, knowing exactly how I'm feeling. Denzel and Marlene were ecstatic to have me pick them up, eagerly greeting me in front of their friends. I walked them both back to the bar - the school is only a short distance away - listening intently to their stories and the things they learned in class.

When we got back to the bar, a fight was just starting to break out. The two drunk men were tipping over tables and spilling beer all over the floors, and Tifa seemed ready to take the necessary course of action. Of course, I did that for her - wouldn't want to get her hands dirty. It was more difficult than I thought, especially with my weakened body, but I subdued both men and 'kicked' them out of the bar.

Eventually, the dinner-rush passed, and the multitude of satisfied customers filed out of the bar. And that leads me here, washing the final dishes side by side with Tifa.

'Cloud, are you okay?'

'Huh? Yeah I'm fine.'

'Listen, I'm sorry. I mean, this must be a real pain for you...'

'No, it's fine,' I wave off her comment. 'This is the least I could do for you.' She smiles as she sets the last plate to dry.

'Thank You.'

With the dishes all finished, we slowly make our way to the living room sofa; it's become sort of routine for us to spend some time together here when all work is finished. I flip on the television, surfing through the various channels.

'Mako levels in the air continue to rise-' I flip to the next channel. I could care less about Mako levels - the Planet is strange enough already, fluctuating Mako levels seems pretty normal by now. None of the channels seem to be very interesting...

'Oh Steve! I love you!' And the dramatic kissing sequence ensues. Immediately my cheeks start to flush, and the atmosphere in the room seems very tense. I look to Tifa, who pointedly avoids the television, playing with a strand of hair. I quickly flip channels.

I eventually stop surfing, under Tifa's request. The program is of a young man, formally dressed, playing a piece on a beautiful grandpiano.

'I love this song!' Tifa sighs and rests her head on my shoulder. The song is only about 4 minutes, but with Tifa resting on my shoulder, it seemed like an eternity. I wish it could have been longer. Still, it was a beautiful piece, and Tifa really enjoyed herself. She claps happily along with the crowd, as the young man bows in the spotlight. Eventually, he is a replaced with an older man with a microphone, probably the announcer.

'That was Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2, played by Jay B-'

'Cloud, thanks. I'm gonna go take a shower.' She continues playing with a strand of her hair, looking rather frustrated at it.

'You look fine.' It's the truth. She eyes me suspiciously, but she replaces her expression with a wonderful smile.

'I'm gonna go.' She kisses me softly on the cheek, then makes her way up the wooden staircase.

I love it when she does that. Kiss me. I want more. I've been tempted to just kiss her straight on the lips many times this past month, it's unbelievable. Whenever she gets close, it's hard for me to resist. It may be just me, but she seems to be hinting in that general direction as well. Cid and Barret seem to agree. As much as I want to take our relationship to that level, I just...can't though. Not with everything that's happened this week. I don't plan on starting a relationship during a crisis. Which makes me want to go out and get some answers even _more -_ the sooner I find out what's going on and solve this problem, the sooner I can be with Tifa. That is, if she'll have me. Ugh - I'm such a mess.

I turn off the t.v., no longer finding it interesting, and head upstairs to my room. Here in the familiar darkness, I can think properly. And that's how I spent the next hour, brooding. Thinking about how I don't have a chance with Tifa (which is probably true), who those three guys could possibly be, and this strange feeling that's been swelling up inside me for the past month or so. Do you ever get that feeling that something's not finished? That's exactly what this feeling is. The only problem is, _what's _not finished?

Suddenly, my thoughts are broken and my hand is on my side. There is a sharp pain coursing throughout my body - similar to the black mist. It started at my side, but spread in an instant. I start to panic, not being able to move or even make a sound. Before I know it, I'm falling over to my side like a statue, my hand never leaving the bandaged area on my side. I try to make a sound, try to call for help - but nothing comes out of my mouth. The only thing I can do is furrow my brows as I struggle to maintain my vision. Blackness even darker than my room creeps in like a shroud. Before I know it, I'm out cold.

xxxxx

'Hello!' The voice is distant yet familiar.

'Helloo!' The feminine voice is getting closer.

'Cloud!' My eyes slowly open. Tassels of light brown hair hover above my head. The light is bright, and I can't make out her face. I squint, allowing my eyes to adjust, and eventually I can recognize her.

'Aerith!' I try to get up, but my chest is restrained. I can only turn my head, only to find myself floating on the water.

'Shh,' she places a finger on her lips. 'Listen.' I nod.

'I've healed your wounds for you, but not completely. There's something strange with you...' she bites her lip, 'it seems familiar, but different too. I couldn't get rid of it.' I nod again in understanding, beginning to worry.

'Nothing should happen to you for a while though, so don't worry.' She smiles at me.

'Now, I'm glad you came, even though you were injured. We really need to talk.'

'I had a feeling,' I respond.

'It is getting very hard to move around in the Lifestream. Even for me,' she starts.

'I'm sorry that I have to make this quick, I have to heal more of those infected. It seems to be the only thing helping here in the Lifestream.' I nod.

'But even so...' her voice is distant. 'It's getting more and more difficult, and more and more people with the stigma are dying. Everyday, it becomes harder to move. I feel heavier, like I'm being constantly weighted down...'

'Aeirith,' I start, 'maybe you're spending too much time and energy healing?' I feel terrible saying it, but it might be true.

'No, that's impossible.' She shakes her head at me. 'Curing the stigma is very easy, and every time I do I feel a bit lighter. Curing people with the stigma is definitely related to the solution.'

'I see.' We spend a moment of silence, trying to think on the situation.

'Cloud, what happened to you?'

'Huh?' She points to my side, where the pain from earlier had started. Where the black mist entered two days ago.

'Oh. I was attacked. A few days ago.'

'Do you remember who attacked you?'

'I didn't get their names. Well I got the name of one of them,' I recall making the delivery to the gunman not two weeks ago, 'but I don't trust it.' She beckons me to continue.

'There were three of them. Silver hair, green eyes...' I furrow my brows in thought. 'Aerith, it's not...'

'No, it's not Kadaj and his brothers. I took them into the Lifestream myself, remember?' I recall holding Kadaj in my arms, and his body dissipating into the sky.

'Yeah. So it's not them. Who are they then?'

'...Sephiroth?' Impossible.

'I beat Sephiroth.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yeah. I watched him disappear.'

'Did he say anything?'

'Well, yeah...' I try my best to recall that fateful day.

'He said...he will never be a memory.'

'Sounds like he isn't gone.'

'What? No...' I shake my head. 'That's just something he would say...I mean, he was hell-bent on vengeance and practically went insane...'

'I see. Did he say anything else?'

'Let's see...'

I recall my fight with Sephiroth, going backwards to retrace. It's hard to remember what he said to me; I was too busy fending off his swift strikes and slashing through falling buildings. Nothing meaningful was said though, and I eventually get to the beginning of our battle.

'What did he say here?' Aerith questions.

'Now that I think about it, he did give some sort of a speech. Let me think...' I close my eyes and try to focus.

'Damn.' I shake my head, realizing what the problem is.

'Well Cloud?'

'I got it. He said that the 'souls of those who died from the stigma would overrun the Planet' or something like that. They would suffocate the Planet or something, and then he would take advantage. Use the Planet as a vessel...to finish what his _mother_ started.' Aerith gasps.

'That must be it then!' I nod in solemn agreement.

_'How could I have forgotten?'_

'At least I got rid of him.'

'Yes. But we still have to save this planet from suffocating! If what he says is true, the Lifestream will go out of control. Everyone living is sure to die. Even then, there would be no space for their souls in the Lifestream, and the Planet will physically die after that.' She shakes her head, not believing the situation we're in.

'Cloud,' she looks at me pleadingly. 'Will you help?'

'Gotta save the Planet again, huh?' Despite of the situation, I chuckle.

'Seriously. Help me?'

'I will.'

'Thank you. I have to go now Cloud, my duty calls. We will need to speak again.' My vision goes white, and I'm forced to shut my eyes from the brightness.

xxxxx

'Is he alive?'

'I don't kno- Denzel! Don't poke him!' I feel a finger against my face.

'It's okay Marlene! Maybe he'll wake up.'

'Hey, I don't think that's a good idea.' It's Tifa. I open my eyes abruptly, causing everyone to jump back a bit. Surely enough, Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene stand near my floating body. I straighten myself to a standing position, hand rubbing my forehead. I tentatively place a hand on my side, feeling out the bandage. Slowly, I remove said bandage, only to find a very thin red line rather than a long slash.

'Cloud?' I look up, finding a worried looking Tifa. She moves in front of me, and places a wet hand across the healed wound.

'What...happened?'

'Tifa, we need to talk-' there is a sudden splashing noise, and I jerk my head around to the source. Now I see that we're not alone - not by a long shot. The entire church seems to be crowded with people, all their eyes on me and Tifa. I don't understand how I could have missed them. I scan the area, taking note of the people. Most of them are wearing ragged clothing, stained with the blackness of Geostigma. There are some in the water near me, their skin glowing with the green of healing Lifestream. And there are a few WRO troops - they are armed, and I notice all of the children looking at them worriedly. Tifa seems to be eyeing them suspiciously as well. I turn back to my worried friend.

'We'll talk later.' She nods in agreement and turns to the kids, who seem uncomfortable in the presence of armed men.

'Denzel, Marlene, let's go now okay?' The two agree, and begin running towards the large wooden doors.

'Daddy, daddy!' Marlene says as she runs through the crowd with Denzel.

'Daddy? Is Barret here?' I turn to Tifa as we walk out of the water.

'Yeah. He was in town last night, thank goodness. Just after I found you passed out, he and Marlene were already headed up the stairs. We tried all sorts of healing spells on you, but nothing seemed to be working. So we rushed you here as quick as we could.' She looks away from me.

'You wouldn't wake up, even after putting you in the water.' Though her hair covers much of her face, I catch a glimpse of her eyes - she's on the verge of tears. I immediately stop in my tracks, and pull her in for a much needed embrace.

'Cloud...' she tightens her grip on me and buries her face in my shoulder.

'I'm just so glad you're okay!' There are a few onlookers, but they turned away after a glare from me. As Tifa cried her tears, I couldn't help but squeeze her tighter.

'I-I thought you were...dead,' she struggled to say the last word. 'Y-You were so pale and-'

'It's alright Tifa,' I whisper softly into her ear. 'I'm here.' I hold her like this for a few more moments, just to let her know that I really _am _here and well and alive. Her cries eventually turned into soft sobs, and then her fears died altogether. Still embracing her, she looks up at me, and manages a smile. It's amazing how strong she is - though her smile is soft and tired, I can clearly see determination behind her eyes.

_'You don't know how much I admire you.'_

'Yo!' A thunderous voice calls from the doorway. 'Back from the dead, huh?' The large man is a silhouette against the light from outside, but he beckons me to follow him. Hand in hand with Tifa, we walk past the wooden doors.

I place a hand in front of me to block out the morning sun. Was I out for that long? I look to Tifa, who yawns tiredly.

_'They all waited for me until morning.' _I feel slightly guilty, but smile to myself. I'm glad I have such good friends.

'Yer lucky I was there to save your ass!' Barret pumps his fist in triumph, then points towards his beefed up pickup truck. He leads us towards the open hood, where Denzel is poking the engine. He removes his finger, a wad of slippery liquid at its tip, and rubs it on Marlene playfully.

'Cool huh?' He says to the young boy, who nods fervently. I take a look at it myself, my curious aroused. And it is a pretty nice piece of work if I don't say so myself. I give Barret a nod of approval, and catch Tifa rolling her eyes in the corner. I smile.

'You alright then?' Barret questions.

'Yeah.' I nod firmly.

'Seem pretty sure about that.'

'I'll explain later. You mind taking us home first?' The large man laughs as he tickles Marlene, and places her on his shoulder.

'Yeah, yeah.'

xxxxx

'Cloud, are you sure that's what's going on?'

'Most likely.'

'Damn. And here I thought we could finally live without fightin'.'

'Yeah.'

I had just finished explaining my conversation with Aerith. Sephiroth's words before our battle. How it relates to the situation in the Lifestream. It seemed very plausible.

'But if that's the case...' Tifa looks on with worry, 'who are those three guys that attacked you?'

'I don't know, but...' I recall the three men and how their appearance had changed. 'They had green eyes, and silver hair. That's enough to tell me that something's not right.'

There is a moment of contemplation, the only sound coming from upstairs where the children play. I eventually break the silence with a sigh.

'What a way to ruin my little break.' I bury my face in my palms, feeling the stress build up. If the world is dying, how can I help? I can't just give up my job - people rely on me, and I have a family to support. The same things must be going through Tifa's mind, since she gives me a worried look.

'What the hell are we gonna do?' Barret drops a heavy fist onto the table, shaking our drinks.

'I don't know.'

We stay silent for a while, trying to contemplate a solution. Of course, Barret asked us to join the WRO - to help with the curing of the stigma Planet-wide. But we explained to him the importance of our current jobs, and how we couldn't just leave. Eventually, we were all out of ideas, and Barret gets up.

'I should really get going now. Work doesn't do itself.' He scratches the back of his head in frustration. 'Marlene!'

'Daddy!' The young girl thunders down the wooden steps, Denzel following closely. The large man holds the little girl in the air, much like a father would.

'Daddy's gotta go Marlene. I'll be back soon though!'

'Okay,' Marlene kisses her father's cheek.

'Don' you ever forget that I love ya,'

'I love you too Daddy,' Marlene laughs as she gets tickled. I notice a smile on Tifa's face, which makes me smile in turn. She hasn't had much reason to smile today. I open the door for Barret, revealing a clear blue sky and the afternoon sun. But Barret doesn't take another step.

'What's wrong?' I ask him.

'Wait. You see that?' He points towards a fancy, all-black car pulling to a stop in front of the bar.

'Is that...' Suddenly, two familiar figures emerge from the vehicle, and give us a wave. Tifa waves back enthusiastically. She smiles at me and heads back towards the kitchen, preparing something for our visitors.

'It's nice outside,' says the finely dressed man as he walks up the wooden steps towards us.

'I concur,' says the other figure, a furry creature clad in red.

'Good day Cloud. Can we come in?' I smile and shake his hand in acknowledgement, and move aside to let them pass.

'Barret,' says the man, 'you should stay with us. It's important.' Marlene jumps for joy behind me, then runs with Denzel back upstairs.

'You're the boss,' says Barret, stepping inside the bar again. What a day this is turning out to be.

xxxxx

'Can you really do that for us?' Tifa asks the man, her eyes flashing with longing and desire. I smile to myself.

'Yes, of course. But...' The man looks to me, waiting for my answer.

'Yeah,' I scratch my head, 'I'll do it.'

'Well Reeve,' the furry creature says from the corner of the room, 'you seem to have found a solution.'

'Yes Nanaki,' says Reeve, smiling. 'It seems that we have.' He turns to me and Tifa. 'Shall we go over this one last time? Just so we're all clear.'

'I guess so.'

'So,' he coughs. 'The WRO will take measures to support the Seventh Heaven,' he makes a gesture towards the bar, then points out the window towards a billboard. 'We will promote you from the outside, and help you expand from the inside.' Tifa's eyes went wide with pleasure, and she squeals with excitement. 'In turn, Cloud will assist us with some operations.' I nod.

'Nothing far,' I remind him.

'Of course not. We simply need you to be a _guard._ One of our main transportation routes to Midgar has recently been getting attacked by monsters. We need you to be there, not just to reduce time, but to keep the people safe. They're already infected with the stigma, they need nothing else to worry about.'

'And I can help save the Planet.'

'Yes.' Reeve smiles. 'Cause that's what we're all about.' Sounds good to me.

'As for your delivery service...' Reeve trails off.

'Whenever I'm out doing work for you, you'll send someone to replace me in delivering. In turn, that person gets the share of money for that delivery.'

'Yes. Don't worry Cloud, I'm paying you for this too. That transportation route is big and can carry _much more_ people to the church than other routes.'

'Yeah, yeah I know.'

'Sounds like a damn' good deal,' Barret chimes in. It _is_ a damn good deal. At least I'll have one job where I can make it home for sure by the end of the day. Plus, it pays good.

'As for your sword...' Oh yeah, forgot about that. Sigh.

'I am sorry that I cannot issue your sword to be made for free,' Reeve states with regret.

'I understand. You're being generous enough with your deal.'

'However, as a friend, I will give you a 15% discount.'

'That would be great.'

'Then it's a deal.' Me and Tifa shake his hand happily.

'Thank you _so_ much Reeve!'

'It's no problem for the Planet's saviors.'

'You're one of them too,' I reply. He and Barret laugh heartily and make their way to the door, Nanaki joining them soon after.

'It'll take a while for your sword. About a month.'

'That's alright.' He smiles.

'Very well. Thanks again Cloud, Tifa. We'll meet again soon.' And the three head off into the chilly Sunday night.

'Cloud,' I feel a warm hand around my arm. 'Does that mean you have to go back to work now?' I sigh. So much for a two-week break.

'Yes.' As expected, she frowns. 'I'm sorry Tifa, I know I said I'd be off this week. But I have to pay for this sword.' A pang of guilt hits me - she doesn't even know that I spent 30,000 gil on a necklace she'll never get to wear. She nods her head in understanding, but still frowns. Good thing I have something prepared.

'Tell you what,' I snake an arm around her waist. 'We never got to have our little date.' This effectively got her attention, and gives me an unreadable look.

'What?' she asks.

'The day I got attacked. I told you we'd go do something the next day.'

'Oh yeah...' she smiles shyly at me. I return it.

'One of these days Tifa, it's a promise.' She rolls her eyes.

'You make a lot of promises,' she grins at me as she pulls me towards the sofa. She grabs a couple blankets, and leads me towards the front steps, closing the door behind her.

'I always keep them,' I state as I take my spot beside the wooden railing, leaning my head on it. If anything, I would consider _this_ a date. Tifa leaning against me, keeping warm under the moon and the stars. It feels like...it should have always been this way between us.

And it is here under the moon and by Tifa's side, that I can think again. Hopefully I won't collapse like the last time I decided to reflect. Whatever, Tifa's here with me now, nothing else really matters. Despite of everything bad that happened today, a lot of good things happened too. So, the Planet's dying and people are dying as well. Well, we found our solution to that. Not only that, but our house is going to be renovated, Tifa's business is going to expand into something big (hopefully), and I get a good job where I can be close to home. That evens it out I think. Who would have thought I'd have to save the Planet as an _escort?_ How the times are changing.

Even though there are three dangerous men out there in the world, and the Planet and its people are slowly dying, I can't help but feel a bit optimistic. _Excited_ even. Tifa smiles at me; she feels it too. I can tell, because we start reminiscing about our previous adventures and memories.

'Cause what's a way to start a new adventure, without reflecting on the previous one?

xxxxx

Chapter 8 - End.

I apologize for the week-long delay in this chapter. I honestly did this chapter like 10 different ways. I'm not satisfied with any, not even this one. Still, it'll have to do.

I apologize if there's a lot of dialogue. I hope it doesn't annoy anybody. I especially hope that I didn't CONFUSE anybody either.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. I had a real difficult time writing it, so please R&R!

oh and btw, in the beginning when they're watching t.v.  
the guy who's playing the piano  
is me! xD


	9. Dreams and Pride

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned by Square Enix**

Transformations – Dreams And Pride

'Thank You very much.' The short, middle aged woman gives me a small bow, taking her package from my hands.

'Not a problem. If you need any more packages moved,' I pull out a small card from my pocket and hand it to her, 'Just give us a call.'

'I will remember it. Thank you once again.' I nod to my new customer and head back towards my vehicle, running idly by the curb. I run my usual inspections, checking for any scratches and marks. Next I check my tires, and then my gas, and the weapons compartment last. The compartments are uncomfortably empty, save for one chamber. I grip the handle of the blade, and slide it out smoothly for another inspection.

The blade is a dark grey with a hint of blue. A few cracks and scratches can be spotted along the sharp edge. The handle is laced with outdated red fabric, barely any grip left. Sigh. This is just a common Mithril Saber – you can find it in any weapons shop, really. It'll have to do for now.

'_I'll make up for its quality with my skill.'_

I slide the sword neatly back into its chamber, before heading off into the distance. Despite having to use a shameful sword, I can't help but smile. It's a beautiful day; the sun shines bright and my mood feels light. The wind feels nice against my face, and so too does the smell of the air; green grass and flowers. Not a single vehicle is in sight; just a few houses, a narrow dirt road, and acres upon acres of grass. Perfect time and place to do some thinking.

'_Reminds me of Nibelheim,' _I think a little wistfully. Sometimes, I find myself thinking about that little town. My _hometown._ How everything was quiet and generally peaceful. How there wasn't really anything to worry about. I sometimes miss that life. Sometimes.

But no, that place will never be the same again. Too many dreams destroyed. Too many feelings hurt. Too many lives lost. Too many_ bad memories._

'_You should really stop brooding you know?'_ I smile, recognizing the voice. I'd recognize that voice from a mile away. I can already imagine her giving me that soft scorn, and then rolling her eyes after I say 'sorry.' And then she would laugh at how easy I am to be depressed, and that simple gesture would put a smile on my face as well.

'_I guess that's a part of you that'll never really change,' _she said to me with a wonderful smile. Little does she know that there's another part of me that'll never change. A place reserved just for her.

My chain of thought is broken by a vibration against my leg. My concentration is set back onto the road, where I have to slow down drastically just so I can hear my ringtone. I eventually skid to a stop, not feeling like talking and driving at the same time. I pull out my phone, smiling at the number, and answer.

'Hey.'

'Cloud!' She seems excited about something.

'What is it Tifa?'

'Guess what?' I can't help but laugh, Tifa's usually doesn't show this much excitement over something.

'What?'

'They're FINISHED!' She squeals pleasurably on the other line. 'Well, the bar anyway. They say they've got some more work to do. But still…' she pauses.

'Tifa?'

'Cloud, it's unbelievable. You really need to see this. And it only took them five days! Once the bar is re-opened…people are going to be _very_ surprised.' She laughs easily, quite pleased.

'That's great Teef. Can't wait to see what Reeve's done to the place.'

'You really have to see it, Cloud.' I can tell that she's smiling. 'Anyways, how are you?'

'Alright I guess.'

'You're not feeling-'

'I feel fine Tifa, don't worry.' I smile – it's good to know someone cares about you. Ever since a few days ago, when Aerith told me about my strange condition, Tifa and I have been a little on edge. But nothing has happened to me. In fact, I feel quite normal. We keep talking for a few more minutes, while I absentmindedly pace back and forth on the side of the road.

'Okay then. When will you be home?' I check my watch, reading Friday April 8th, 5:56pm, and then my schedule. Three more deliveries; probably going to take a few more hours.

'I'm not sure. It'll be a few more hours, but I'll try to be back before dark.'

'Alright. Be careful okay? Don't overdo it.'

'Don't worry,' and she hangs up. Walking back towards Fenrir, I notice a patch of flowers by the roadside. They're just waiting to be picked. I laugh at myself, for the sheer stupidity of my idea – I mean, she can't possible like them – but I pick them anyway.

'_Just in case I don't come home in time.'_

xxxxx

And I was right. I didn't get home on time. I scolded myself internally for taking on so many deliveries today. I mean, they're necessary, especially since Tifa was out of work due to the bar renovations, but still…I hate making Tifa wait. She's done too much of that already.

I open the door slowly, noticing the clock that reads 11:42pm. As if I needed to be reminded. The house is quiet, so I tread inside silently, carefully closing the door behind me. What came next was a total surprise.

For a second, I thought I was in the wrong place. But the familiar pictures on the wall told me otherwise. I look around in amazement at the new look of the bar.

The wooden stools and tables were replaced with newer stools and tables, made of a sturdier, darker wood. In fact, all of the previous wooden items were replaced with this darker wood, including the floorboards. The darker shade definitely made the place look cooler.

But the change of furnishings isn't the biggest difference here. In fact, the room itself is changed. It's bigger, and it's not because of the reorganized furnishings. No, the room was _definitely _bigger. There are many more tables and stools, and it's still easy for me to move around. It's a bit easier to move around than before, actually. I move over quietly to the bar area. Even that seems bigger. I take another look at the bar; black wood, more tables and space – they even added some artistic paintings. Reeve was right when he said 'expand.'

I tread softly to the living room, no creaks escaping from the new floorboards. The living room is unchanged, thankfully. Tifa and I spend a lot of time here, I wouldn't really want them changing this room. The air smells of her hair – a medley of fruits – and sure enough, she lies atop the sofa.

She's so beautiful, just lying there peacefully. My navy blue blankets are on the floor, and she seems to be shivering a bit. Sighing, I pick up the blankets and wrap them around her, noticing how cold her skin is. I always tell her that sleeping here is a bad idea. I sit down near her feet, thinking to myself. Finally, I come to a decision. I'm not going to let her sleep here in the cold living room. Carefully, I slip my hands beneath her knees and back. She doesn't wake. Smiling, I bring her upstairs.

I stop in front of her room, perplexed. It looks like someone _destroyed_ her bedroom. The door is swung ajar, revealing planks of shattered wood along the floor. Her cabinets and drawers have all been moved away from the wall, and her bed is covered in a protective plastic sheet. The wall behind her bed is missing completely.

'_What the hell?' _I think to myself.

'Tifa said they're going to make her room bigger.' I turn my head to the voice, a little boy in front of the bathroom.

'Denzel?' The young boy yawns widely, and heads back towards his bedroom.

'I'm going, I'm going,' he says with a smile. He gives me a confused look, noticing Tifa in my arms. I simply shrug, and he goes back into his room. He's probably going to tell Marlene about this tomorrow.

Carefully, I open my bedroom door. I winced at the creaking noise, and Tifa stirred a bit. Her brows furrowed, and I was afraid that she might wake up, so I laid her gently on my bed. Thankfully, her expression softened after I placed my blankets over her. Tiredly, I lie down on my side of the bed, slipping beneath the blue blankets as well. For a while, there was no sound but her soft breathing. Eventually I couldn't hear anything at all, because I had fallen asleep as well.

xxxxx

I woke up at 6am. The room was still quiet, the only sounds coming from Tifa's soft breaths. I have to leave soon; first delivery of another long day starts in an hour. Sighing, I walk quietly towards the door and down the stairs. I'm tired as ever – my muscles are unreasonably sore and my thoughts slow. Absentmindedly, I head into the kitchen and open the stainless steel fridge. Spotting the bowl with 'Cloud' taped on it, I pull it out and pop it into the microwave. After a minute or so, the kitchen is filled with the scent of pasta. I smile – Tifa's food will do that to you.

Normally, I would have taken some of the contents and put it on a plate, saving the rest for another time. Not this time. I missed dinner last night (sigh) and my stomach _demands_ to be fed. So I ate everything, straight out of the bowl.

During this time, I failed to notice something. It seems Reeve made some improvements on the kitchen as well – it seems much more spacious, some appliances have been replaced, there's even another stove! I laugh at myself, feeling foolish for pigging out so intensely. But then again, I am in a hurry. I walk briskly back towards the stairs, noticing a new painting on the wall – a vase of flowers. Which reminds me…

I rush out the door and head towards Fenrir, opening a compartment. Surprisingly, the flowers I had picked didn't die overnight.

'_Must be special flowers,' _I think to myself, _'Which is perfect for a special person.'_

I rush back inside, eyeing the flowers for any signs of withering. Luckily, there are none, so I place them in a small glass vase. Filling it with the appropriate amount of water (I wouldn't really know how much to fill, so I just filled a third), I head towards the bar area, vase in hand. I placed it right in the middle of the bar counter, and the vibrant colors seemed to brighten the room. Like a touch of blue, yellow, and orange amidst the black wood and clear glass of the room. I smile, feeling like I accomplished something, and head back to my room.

Tifa still sleeps soundly on my bed, blue blankets wrapped tightly around her for comfort. I can't help but notice how the blankets outline her shape, her hips and –

I shrug off my thoughts, feeling a little stupid. I quietly pull out some fresh clothing from my closet, and head out towards the bathroom. My body is still strangely sore, and I think a hot shower would do the trick.

xxxxx

Once again, I'm wrong. The hot shower didn't really do much for my aching muscles, nor my spirits. I sigh, lazily wiping my face in front of the mirror. After putting on my fresh clothes, I stare at myself. Something seems off.

'_Strange…'_

After a minute or so of inspecting my face, I finally found what I was looking for. I was missing a spike. Not like it really mattered, my hair is spiky enough as it is. But a single missing spike made a bigger difference than I thought it would. My hair seems a tiny bit thinner too.

'_Must be from all this exhaustion.'_

I head out of the bathroom, not really caring for my appearance anymore. So what if my hair isn't as spiky? Driving at 200mph would probably make it spiky again. Walking through the hallway, I notice that my bed is empty. It's been done too, with the blankets folded neatly. Walking closer towards the stairs, the smell of food hits me – eggs and sausages, yum. I head down the stairs with a smile.

'_That Tifa…'_ God, I love her.

I lean against the wall just opposite of the kitchen entrance. Tifa hasn't noticed my presence yet, she's too busy cooking some delicious breakfast. A part of me was upset for not helping her cut those tomatoes, but another part reminded me of what happened the last time I tried to cut food. Didn't work out too well, I laugh quietly. So I decided to stand by the wall to watch and admire her until breakfast was finally finished.

It was amazing how easily and swiftly she moved around. I stared in awe as her hands diced the peppers, very quick and dangerous looking. I thought she would cut off a finger or something. But all the veggies were diced in a matter of seconds, and it only took a few minutes before she finished her masterpiece of an omelette. She laid the enticing egg dish down onto the table, where I spotted the grilled sausages and toasted bread. Now _that's _breakfast.

She left the room, presumably to check on the bar – now's my chance. I walk in quietly, heading for the bar area as well when she suddenly gasps. I smile, knowing what just happened.

There she is, surely enough, with her back facing me. She holds the colorful set of flowers with both hands to her nose. Even though her back is turned, I can tell that she's smiling. Quietly, I walk up behind her, and wrap my hands around her waists. Her body is tense at first, but she relaxes quite easily. I bring my head over her shoulder, and whisper into her ear.

'Good morning.' Her body shudders, and I grasp her tighter. She turns herself quickly, still clutching onto the flowers with both hands.

'Cloud!' She leans into my chest for an embrace. We haven't been able to do this for a week – I've been too busy doing deliveries. I squeeze her shoulders tighter, enjoying the smell of her hair and the warmth of her skin.

'That's my thanks for the food.' She smacks me playfully on the chest, laughing.

'They're lovely. Thank _you_ Cloud.' I smile, scratching the back of my head. She holds up the flowers to my nose, beckoning me to smell them. And they do smell lovely.

'Let's eat!' She grins at my eagerness, and leads us to the table. The omelette and sausages are steaming, begging to be eaten. Even though I already had breakfast, this food is making me want to stuff myself _again._ No harm in being indulgent every now and then I guess.

I place a healthy serving onto my plate, Tifa eyeing me carefully. She always does this, wait for my approval. I smile, an idea forming in my head. A stupid idea, really. She'll either laugh, or punch me. I stab my fork into a slice of sausage, and take a bite.

'Ugh' I say. I even make a face. 'Tastes like ShinRa food.' I try my best to look disgusted, but my eyes betray me. She notices my laughing eyes, and the twitch of my mouth attempting to smile and laugh.

'You…you…' her mouth is still in the 'O' shape, but she's trying to decide if I'm joking or playing with her. I stab another sizzling sausage slice and pop it into my mouth, savoring the taste. Hopefully my smile will be enough to tell her.

And it is. She seems to relax a bit, and laughs as well. She rolls her eyes at me as I exaggerate the chewing motion of a third sausage slice.

'Cloud Strife, I could smack you for that.' I swallow my food.

'But you wouldn't.'

'No, I wouldn't.' She smiles at me, before digging into her plate.

'_And that's why I love you,' _I thought to myself.

We spend the next moments just enjoying the food, and more importantly, each other. I've been working non-stop the past week, trying to regain the gil I lost for her necklace and for my sword. We really haven't had much time to be together like this. It's only a matter of time before I'm full again.

'It really did taste like ShinRa food.' My remark catches her off guard, and she seems even more affected than earlier. She gasps at me, then narrows her eyes dangerously.

'I'm kidding!' I hold my hands in the air, grinning like a child. She pouts and crosses her arms dramatically, but her eyes betray her. She turns away swiftly, and walks out of the kitchen towards the bar area.

'Hey, Tifa!' I get off my seat and head towards her. She is clutching the flowers again, her back to me. I wrap my arms around her waist like earlier, and she turns to me. She has a determined look in her eyes.

'Cloud,' she starts, 'what are we?' Now this was not expected. Is this it? Will this be the moment? Her hands are on my chest, and her eyes are on my lips. I can feel a single drop of sweat falling from the back of my head. What do I say?

Her eyes move from my lips to my own. There is determination beyond those beautiful red irises, demanding an answer. Strangely enough, there is a response already escaping my lips.

'Whatever you want us to be.' That wasn't really expected either. She doesn't seem upset with my response though – she's pushing me against the wall, dangerously close. I can almost taste her breath – is this it, then? All thoughts leave me as our lips inch towards each other. We brush lips…

_Ring, Ring!_

'_Damn it!'_ My thoughts crumble to little pieces, leaving me there with Tifa, our lips barely brushing. My tongue threatens to escape, to get a taste of her lips. But she pulls away, flushed and speechless. I don't blame her.

_Ring, Ring!_

'I'm sorry,' I manage to say before running towards the stairs. I stop, noticing Denzel and Marlene sitting at the foot of the steps, looking guilty. Were they listening? I ignore it though, and run up the steps to answer the phone in my room. It sucks, having the only phone in the house upstairs.

'Hello?' I manage to blurt rather loudly and panting a bit.

'YOU'RE LATE! I THOUGHT YOU WERE NEVER LATE? WHAT IS THIS, THIS NONSENSE-' I pull the phone away from my ear, wincing at the angry customer's comments. I had completely forgotten that I was in a hurry to do a delivery.

'I-I'm sorry ma'am. Please…just g-give me some time-'

'WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU GIVE WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS-' I have to pull the phone from my ear again. Damn, I hate angry customers. My thoughts are still a jumble, making it hard for me to think of any proper responses. Eventually, I notice Tifa standing by the doorway with the kids, laughing. How embarrassing.

'YOU HAVE HALF AN HOUR TO GET HERE. OTHERWISE, YOU'VE LOST YOURSELF A CUSTOME-'

'I'll be there in twenty!' I slam the phone down, panting.

'What's up with Cloud? Why's he sweating so much? Did he go running?'

'No Denzel, he's having a heart-attack! Let's go help him!'

'Guys,' Tifa laughs softly, 'Cloud's fine. Why don't you both go downstairs and have breakfast? I made your favorite omelettes.'

'Okay!' The two shout in unison and storm down the stairs, laughing along the way. I gulp loudly, Tifa walking towards me.

'T-Tifa, I'm sorr-'

'No,' she places a hand on my trembling chest. 'I'm sorry, Cloud. I shouldn't have asked. I just…' she looks away from me, looking hurt. I immediately pull her into an embrace. Her body is tense, and it took her a while to relax.

'We'll talk later,' I squeeze her hand reassuringly. She smiles at me, a huge wave of relief.

'Okay. Let's not keep your angry customer waiting,' she laughs, pulling me down the staircase. I slide into my boots quickly, before heading towards the door. I look to Tifa one last time; her eyes say, 'You better come back.'

'I will.'

xxxxx

The day was too long. I was slow to drive, slow to think, slow to react too. I probably ran through four red lights. Customers scolded me for being late, and I would simply ignore them, too preoccupied to care. Every minute, every second, I was thinking about Tifa. I was thinking about her, and what I would do when I got home.

'_Yes? No?' _My entire consciousness was split in two; one would say yes, while the other would argue no.

'…_Maybe?' _I curse under my breath, feeling completely stupid. I wouldn't want to start a relationship during a crisis. I mean, what if we're together and those three guys attack again? What if something _worse_ happens? Gaia, I hope nothing does, but still. I want to be with her so _badly…_ this is tearing me apart.

I continue to drive slowly through the wasteland near Midgar – it's a shortcut. The rocky hills and small mountain formations are clad in the dark of night. I check my watch; 8:46pm. I promised Tifa I'd be back by 9. I regain some focus, and concentrate it on driving quickly. I wouldn't want to make her mad, not now.

But of course, things never go my way. I cursed rather loudly as the bestial roars echo through the wasteland. There are monsters – lots of them. I spin Fenrir on its rear, and surely enough, eight shadow creepers are on my tail. I open the weapons compartment, removing the Mithril Saber, and brace myself.

And I was knocked off my vehicle, rolling on the ground. Curse my luck for having to fight at this time, especially with a mediocre sword like this. I manage a weak stance, feeling every bit exhausted as I look, and swing with both hands. It barely manages to take out one of the creatures. After my attack, I was left wide open for the remaining creatures, already lunging at me.

One, two three, four. Pause. Five, six. Pause. Seven. Each creature managed to strike me, and I staggered backwards in pain. The last creature wasn't done though, and I was slow to react.

Eight. Three strikes to the legs, five strikes to the body. I can feel the cuts. I jump away a good distance, trying to gather myself once more. I take my weak stance again, and strike. This time, it took me two strikes to take one out.

One, two, three. Four, five, six. Another six strikes to my chest and back, sending me staggering further backwards. Getting rather ticked off, I decide to go on the offense. I lunge at the six remaining creatures, shouting. Shouting in pain and in rage. I took out two of them with a single swipe, but it came at a cost. The Mithril Saber had shattered. I stood there, perplexed. Even the monsters seemed a bit surprised.

'_I didn't think it was THAT weak.'_

I stood there, just staring at the empty hilt, before instinct took over and rolled me to the side. I barely managed to hold up my arms, blocking the black creature's bite. Well, it's biting my arms now, but at least it didn't bite my head off. After a short struggle, I manage a kick, sending the creature tumbling towards the other three, who tumbled in turn. Good, this will buy me a bit of time. With my exhausted and wounded body, I really only have one option.

I sprint fully towards Fenrir, barely managing to escape the creatures' next attack. I head off towards my new destination, the top of a certain cliff, with the black creatures following closely. My senses sharpen upon instinct; I'm going to need them. With no sword, my only options right now are to punch, kick, or run. And I really don't feel like doing the first two. So I run.

The black creatures had transformed into shadows, speeding alongside me. Occasionally, a creature would jump out from the shadows to strike, but I was quick to dodge. I was almost hit once, but I managed to kick it just in time. Now I had reached the top of the cliff, and my objective lay straight ahead. There, by the edge of the cliff, lay my best chance for survival.

I lean in towards my bike, allowing myself to go faster. I'm starting to have tunnel vision, and an adrenaline rush is building up. The edge of the cliff is approaching, and I don't plan on slowing down. I take one last glance behind me, noticing the shadows still on my trail. I turn around and grasp the red hilt of the blade just as the creatures began to roar and lunge at me. Less than a second later, I was in mid-air, about to fall some twenty feet, and doing a 180 degree turn.

The four creatures were lunging towards me, closing the distance quickly. I smile, feeling the familiar weight of the blade in my hands, and swing it heavily with one arm. It took out all four of them. I landed hard, but it did not sway my balance. Once reaching the ground, I stopped and got off my vehicle. One last creature remains, but it's not like the others. This shadow creeper was larger, had bigger claws and teeth, and its roar was more thunderous. Its eyes were not white like the others – no, this one's eyes glowed red with malice and murderous intent. I took my stance, a much stronger one this time, and swung the rusty blade.

Blade and claw clashed loudly. This creature was strong, _really_ strong. Each swing I took would send strong vibrations across my body, and some of the rust on the large blade was blown off. It wasn't long before there was no rust on it at all. We continue exchanging blows, neither of us landing. If I wasn't so exhausted, I would have ended this a long time ago. The creature leaps high into the air, amassing a powerful attack. I swing heavily with both hands.

And I managed to cut off both of the front claws. The creature staggered back in pain, and hid in the shadows to circle around me. I was not unscathed though; one of the claws landed on my right shoulder, effectively wounding me.

'_Damn this thing.'_

The creature finally lunges at me, going for a bite. In rage, I shout and swing heavily with both hands. I cut the creature in half. It dissolved and vanished into the air before it even hit the ground. Tiredly, I stick the sword into the ground and try to catch my breath.

'It's been a while, Cloud.' The familiar voice catches me completely off guard. Surely enough, when I open my eyes, everything is white. Everything save for the large blade in front of me, and the person leaning against its hilt. I can't help but smile – a visit from _him_ is just what I needed.

'Zack.'

xxxxx

'What's wrong Cloud? You're not yourself.'

'What do you mean?'

'The way you fight, it's lacking.' He eyes me up and down, shaking his head. 'There's something else about you too. Something different.' Aerith's words echo in my mind. _Something else about me is different._

'I don't really know, Zack.' He places a hand on my shoulder.

'Listen Cloud, why are you so afraid to use my sword?' This question is unexpected. I thought the answer was obvious.

'Because it's yours.' He laughs.

'Did I ever tell you that this sword isn't mine?'

'You might have mentioned it.'

'Well, it's not mine. It was my _mentor's._' He scratches his chin, contemplating. 'He didn't use it much, just like I didn't use it much. "Use brings about wear and tear," he once told me.' I smile, not really sure what else to do whenever Zack tells a story. He continues.

'The sword was given to him from his father as a gift. The sword basically was his 'Dreams and Pride.' He never used it much because he wanted to keep it safe.' He pauses.

'He gave it to me, and it became a symbol of my dreams and pride. I didn't use it much either, thinking that it was his sword and not mine, and if it wasn't for him, I might not be a 1st Class SOLDIER in the first place. But I eventually started using it, to protect my own dreams and pride.' I nod.

'And I gave it to you. I gave it to you a _long_ time ago. Tell me Cloud, what are your dreams and pride?' I sit down in the dirt, contemplating his question. Is there anything that I'm proud of?

'I don't know, Zack.'

'Are you proud of your skill? Your fighting ability?'

'No. I didn't work for this ability.' I shudder, remembering vaguely the terrible experiments Hojo conducted on me.

'Are you proud of your battles? You did beat Sephiroth.'

'No.' He raises his brow.

'I don't know Zack. I beat him, more than once. But…I'm not even sure if he's really _gone_. Besides, I always had help, and I would have died if nobody was there to help me out.'

'Fine. How about your friends?'

'No.'

'WHAT! How can you not be proud of your friends?'

'Well I'm definitely glad for them, and proud in some ways,' I pause to think. 'But…some of them, I led them away from their homes. They didn't need to experience the death and pain that I did. I had only wanted them so I can beat Sephiroth in the first place. I just happened to get caught up in their lives I guess.'

'Man,' he shakes his head, 'You are one depressing kid.' I shrug.

'And you're too cocky for your own good,' I retort.

'True say…' he trails off. 'But still!' He smiles. 'How about…your family?'

xxxxx

'Thanks, Zack.'

'Don't mention it.'

'I won't be using your sword for long anyway.'

'Whatever, just keep it man. It's yours now.'

'Alright.'

'Come on now, get outta here! Tifa's waiting for you.' He winks at me and shakes my hand firmly.

'Yeah.' The color returns in my surroundings, and I check my watch; 9:13pm.

I rush towards Fenrir, placing the Buster Sword into a compartment with a smile, and speed towards the distance.

'_Thanks Zack. I just hope I'm not too late.'_

xxxxx

Chapter 9 – End

What is Cloud going to do?

What did Cloud and Zack talk about?

What was that strong creature?

What's up with Cloud's hair? Does he need to start using hair products? *Gasps*

Find out next time =D

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story. It means a lot to me. Please, continue giving me your feedback through reviews, whether it be comments, improvements, flames even! Feedback is the fuel to my fire.

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Maybe, just maybe, things are going to pick up soon…?

On another note, I know that the date is not April 8th. That was over a month ago. I'm just following along with the date in the story. If you go to Chapter 4, I give a date there, and that's how I tracked the date in this story.

Hope it doesn't confuse people. Update in a week or so, definitely not two weeks. Don't forget to Review! =D


	10. 1000 Words

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations - 1000 Words

9:40pm.

The silver doorknob is surprisingly cold to the touch; like a splash of cool winter ice against my sweaty palms. But I grasp it tighter, against all of my screaming nerves. I take a few deep breaths, mustering all of the focus and courage I can, before gently twisting the knob.

The place is unnaturally dark, due to the inactivity in the bar. It's rare for her to close the bar this early on a Saturday night. A single drop of sweat slides down my neck as my eyes and ears adjust to the eerie dark and quiet. The only sounds are coming from the T.V. in the living room.

And sure enough, she is there, propped up on the sofa and watching a re-run from our favorite program. She doesn't seem to know I'm here, but I don't think the television has any of her attention. I undo my jacket loudly, noticing how her body went stiff at the sudden activity. But she doesn't turn around to check on me. My heart sinks in my chest -have I lost my chance?

'Tifa,' I call quietly. For a moment, there is only silence; a tired sigh from the world to remind me of all my failures. Even the television seems to have gone quiet.

'You're late,' she says after an eternity. The tone of her voice is painful, stabbing my heart where it hurts.

'I know,' I agree solemnly. The silence comes again, and after another eternity, she finally turns around to face me.

'You should have called-' Her face immediately turns from upset to worried. 'Cloud!' She stands abruptly and runs towards me. 'What happened to you?'

'Huh?' Her hand is on my chest, drawing all of my attention. My shirt is cut and torn, scribbled with red streaks. She looks up to me, her face painted with worry.

'Cloud…you're always getting hurt.' She turns her attention to my shoulder, and gasps as she notices the wound. 'Cloud! We need to get you fixed up. Here…' she grabs me by the hand and leads me up the stairs quietly. She stops for a moment to check on the kids, who are fast asleep, before turning her attention back to me.

'Stay here while I get some things,' she says as we enter my room.

'Tifa, I'll be fine-' she holds up her hand, commanding me to stop. I sigh, getting her eyes to roll. She gives me a small smile.

'I'll be right back.'

She had smiled, so I can't have screwed up _that_ badly. Sighing again, I remove my bloodstained shirt. The entire process was painful and exhausting – seems those monsters had more of an effect on me than I thought. My entire body is sore and exhausted and painful, each muscle and limb aching for some reprieve.

I bury my face in my palms as I sit on my bed patiently. Everything seems to be fine so far; it doesn't look like she's mad at me or anything. Well that figures, I was hurt after all. But still, I had expected a punch or something the moment I walked through the door. I look up, taking note of the glittering Buster Sword leaning against the wall.

'_Just say it man,' _Zack's words echo in my mind. _'Just be straight about it. No need for you to get all fancy in how you say it. Just say it.'_ I shake my head in my palms.

'_Why does he have to make everything sound so easy?' _My thoughts are broken by the sound of footsteps. My door creaks open, revealing a tired, messy-haired Tifa. Still beautiful.

'Sorry for the wait. It's been a while since I ever had to use _this_' she places her personal first aid-kit beside me on the bed. 'Had to look everywhere.'

I don't say anything, don't respond at all, yet she takes a spot beside me on the bed. Her hands are soft, rubbing the skin near my shoulder wound.

'What happened to you this time?' Her voice is soft and soothing. Just listening to her speak might heal me a bit.

'There were a lot of them.' She makes a noise of agreement, opening her first-aid kit. She removes a cloth and a bottle, presumably medical alcohol, and applies some of the contents onto the cloth. Then she rubs the wet cloth over my shoulder wound.

It stings a bit, but I don't mind. I vaguely wonder why she doesn't just use a healing spell or something. But I don't ask her – she probably has her reasons. And personally, I kind of like this, the feeling of her hands on my skin.

She continues this process on my other wounds; my arms, my chest, and then my back. She took her time, letting her hands linger on my skin longer than she normally would. Despite my growing anxiety, it was an enjoyable experience.

We talked of small things – how was your day, how are the kids, did anything interesting happen at the bar. There was tension in the short distance between us, neither of us mentioning the events from this morning.

'_How do I even start?'_

She had finished disinfecting my wounds, and she would move on to bandaging them now. I couldn't help but notice that the tired look from earlier was gone – her brows were furrowed now. Anger? Stress? Anxiety maybe? I don't know.

'You don't have to do this you know.' She looks up from bandaging my arm, looking slightly puzzled.

'Cloud, I told you already. You don't have to do everything yourself.'

'I know, Tifa. But this is different. You're exhausted.' Our eyes meet, my vibrant blue reflected in her burgundy-red. She smiles softly.

'I'm glad you care,' she finishes up bandaging my arm wound. 'But I think I can handle this much.' She squeezes my arm reassuringly before moving onto my chest and back wounds. She wraps her arms around my upper-body, something near an embrace, while wrapping the bandages around.

'Besides, you never bandage yourself properly.' There's some truth to that, and I can't help but smile. She continues bandaging my body, her hands pressing softly against my skin.

'_Don't wait for it. Make the first move!' _I sigh, remembering Zack's advice.

'_Yeah, he's right. I just hope I don't screw up or anything.'_

Tifa is just about to finish bandaging me, her body still very close to mine. I decide to seize the opportunity, and wrap my arms around her.

Her body is stiff at first, but she relaxes quickly. She even seems to sigh into my shoulder.

'Cloud…'

'Thanks Tifa. I've been such a burden to you lately.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Like you said, I'm always getting hurt. I feel like I'm stressing you out all the time.'

'It's not a problem Cloud, really. Didn't we agree that we'd always help each other?' I smile.

'Yeah, we did. But, it's always _me_ needing help. I've never done anything to help you.'

'Of course you have!' She squeezes me a bit tighter. 'You gave me flowers.' I chuckle a bit.

'Yeah, I did.'

'Besides,' she smiles shyly, ' you make me happy.' She pulls away from me, allowing me to look into her eyes.

'_I make her happy?'_

'Do I?' She gives me a shy smile.

'Yeah...'

'How?'

'Well…' she puts on her best thinking face, drawing a smile from me. 'You just…do.' We stare into each other's eyes again, the tension from earlier building up again. I guess…this is _the time._

'Really, Tifa. Are you _happy?'_

'What are you talking about?'

'About us.' The silence that fell after that was heavy and suffocating. With each breath I take, I feel my hopes leaving with them. Her eyes are wide in shock, staring into me as if I'm some stranger.

'_No, no, no, no, no…'_

She closes her eyes for a moment, and suddenly I'm aware of her hands on my chest. Her breath grows stronger as the distance between us begins to close, and I start to lose my own breath. She's mere centimeters away from me now, and we look into each other's eyes one more time. There's no going back.

Everything seemed to go silent as our lips hover next to each other. Still looking into her eyes, I get her message.

'_Yeah, I'm happy now.' _I smile.

And we close the distance. At first, I had no idea what was going on, or what to do. All I knew is that it felt good. _Really good. _Her lips are delicious, like a sweet mango, and with every passing second I could feel my worries and pains disappearing. Eventually, I feel her arms around my neck, pulling me to an even tighter kiss. I'm not going to argue.

I eventually have to pull away to catch my breath. Her hands are still on my bandaged chest, and I'm only able to take a quick breath before I'm pulled into another kiss. This time it was much more passionate, and eventually I found myself lying on my back with her on top of me, lips still pressed.

This time it's her who pulls away. She's pushing herself up from my bed, her raven hair dangling lazily. Her eyes are glowing with immense joy, and she can't contain her smile. Neither can I. She moves in for one more kiss – a single, long and meaningful expression of her feelings. The way she pressed herself fully into me, and the way her hands slid under my back to embrace me, how she slowly released her breath as if it were as important as this very moment – I understand now.

'I love you,' is her message.

'I love you too Tifa.'

xxxxx

I wake up to the sound of her soft breathing. There she is, a sleeping beauty lying peacefully atop my chest. I stay like this for a bit longer, just staring at the ceiling and listening to her soft breaths. I wouldn't mind waking up like this for the rest of my life.

I eventually have to get up though – duty calls. I move her head gently from my chest onto my pillow, placing my blue blankets around her shoulders. She stirred up a small smile as I planted a kiss on her cheek.

My morning shower ended with the smell of breakfast. I smile, noticing my bed done and the curtains opened, allowing some warm sunshine. I was quick to change, eager to see her – eager to just _be_ with her.

There was already a plate set for me when I got to the kitchen, filled with steamy breakfast. But my eyes were only on her. Her hair was still a bit messy, but her eyes had a new glow to them. Even her movements seemed a bit lively.

'Tifa.'

'Cloud.' She smiles a wonderful smile, before running into me for a delightful hug.

'Good morning.'

'Good morning,' she chuckles a bit before wrapping her arms around my neck. Her smile is contagious, and before I know it, she's kissing me again. Not a bad way to start a Sunday morning. She pulls away eventually, her smile bigger than ever, and leads me to the table.

'You didn't have to do this you know…' she rolls her eyes.

'Oh please, Cloud. You know you want it.' She gives me a wink, which leaves me speculating her phrase.

'Want what?'

'Breakfast,' she smiles shyly.

'Oh please, Tifa,' I mock her tone, 'you know that's not what I want.'

And we kiss again. And again, and again. I could never get tired of this.

'Cloud,' she whispers as we pull away. 'Your breakfast is getting cold.' I chuckle, knowing this to be true.

'Yeah.'

xxxxx

We took our sweet time eating our strawberry pancakes. No pun intended. I spent most of it just staring at her, admiring the sound of her voice and the effect her smile always has on me. We had a long and enjoyable conversation; she had flirted with me unexpectedly, which led to us kissing again. I pulled away, hearing the familiar ring of the phone upstairs.

'Must be Reeve. I'll go get it.' I squeeze her arm before making my way upstairs, noticing her wink. I smile.

'Hello.'

'Hey Cloud. You ready?'

'Yeah.'

'First day on the job huh? How you feeling about it?'

'Really good actually.' Little does he know that I'm not talking about the new job. My smile grows larger.

'Yeah? That's great. Will you meet me soon? I'm making a personal appearance with this set.'

'Really? I'll be there soon then.'

'Great. We're approaching the Midgar Highway South right now. We'll wait for you at Exit 406.'

'Alright, I'll be there soon. Thanks Reeve.'

I head down the stairs, making sure I have everything I need. Sword: check. License: check. Keys…

'Looking for these?' Tifa holds the silver keys in front of my face, smiling. I reach for the keys, but she pulls her hand away. I chuckle, knowing what she wants.

I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Her lips are still sweet, pressing gently against mine. I kiss her again just for good measure. She smiles, dropping the keys in my hand before embracing me.

'Be careful okay?'

'I will.' She winks at me one last time, drawing a smile from me, before I head out of the door.

xxxxx

I was a mile into the Midgar Highway heading south when my phone began to vibrate. Slowing down, I remove my phone from my pocket.

_1 New Message._

I click the 'Read' button.

_Hey Cloud. Love You. xoxo = )_

_-Tifa Lockhart, Sunday April 10__th__, 9:37 am._

I smile to myself as I read the message out loud, and before I know it, I'm grinning like a maniac. That one short message alone was worth more than a thousand words to me. I eagerly hit the reply button.

_Hey Tifa. Love You more. xox : )_

_Message sent on Sunday April 10__th__, 9:38 am._

My smile never leaves me as I continue driving down the highway towards my destination. Zack's words from last night start to echo through my mind again.

'_Listen Cloud, there's no feeling like quite like it. No feeling at all. There's nothing like knowing that you have someone waiting for you: someone willing to put up with your nonsense and still be with you. There's no feeling quite like it.'_

He was right.

xxxxx

Chapter 10 – End

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for this late chapter. I know I promised to update within a week, but things happened, and I just couldn't get this in on time. I hope I didn't lose anyone with my late update, and I pray that you guys continue to read, review, and support this story. I will never abandon this story, and you, my all-important readers!

Now, I'm not quite sure how I did with this chapter. You see, I've never written a romance story or anything before, so this was a challenge for me. I hope I did well, and if you have any comments or criticisms, please feel free to review.

Oh and this chapter is short, half-as long as my usual ones, so I'd like to apologize if any readers wanted my usual, 4000 word or more chapter. I promise that the next chapter will be longer, and more…interesting.

Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I really appreciate it. Keep reading, keep reviewing, keep supporting, and most importantly, keep enjoying!

Banana =D


	11. Melodies of Life

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations – Melodies of Life

The wind roars past my ears as I continue my drive along the highway. The lanes were empty, save for a few WRO trucks, giving me allowance to drive quickly. I would occasionally pass a construction worker, filling in potholes or re-painting the lanes. The sky was gray and bland – fitting for a place like this – yet the ride was somehow enjoyable. It isn't long before the 'Exit 406' sign comes into view.

I slow down, taking note of the vehicles. There are around 30 troops, each riding a motorcycle. Groups of 5 or 6 surround the 5 enormous vehicles, presumably the convoys. The convoys look almost like tanks, without the long missile barrels and the tread-wheels. They're about the same size as a small bus, and I estimate around 10 to 20 people can fit inside. The convoys are covered in thick steel plating, likely making them bulletproof. As I get closer, I notice two gun emplacements, one on each side of the convoy. Whoever rides one of these is sure to be well protected.

Driving towards the stationary group, I notice one man in a different motorcycle. His motorcycle is red, standing out in the sea of traditional WRO black, and his helmet shines red as well. I notice a small logo – a golden crown – above the helmet's visor.

'Cloud!' The man drives slowly to meet me, waving. 'You made it!' He raises his tinted visor.

'Reeve,' much to my surprise, 'is this your bike?'

'Oh no, of course not. I prefer the conventional car,' he smiles. 'But there's no more space in any of the convoys, so I just borrowed this one.'

'I see…' I glance back at one of the armored convoys, eyeing the fixed gun emplacements. Reeve notices my confused look.

'You might be wondering,' he coughs, 'why I asked you for help at all,' he points at the same convoy that I'm looking at.

'A bit.'

'I figured you would. These convoys are actually new, commissioned just two nights ago. The monster attacks have progressed dramatically over the past few days – it was important for us to finish making these and issuing them for use. I'm especially glad that you're here, now we have some security.'

'Have the attacks been…bad?' He nods solemnly.

'Yes. We barely made it during our last run to the church. The monsters managed to take out most of the WRO escorts halfway through the trip. 17 Casualties.' There is a moment of silence.

'I'm sorry.' He nods passively once more.

'What's more, is that the attacks are progressing on many levels. The first attack, there were only 2 of them. Now…' his brows furrow, 'we were barely able to keep count. Somewhere around 16, and these monsters have only started attacking some two weeks ago.' These details are surprising. 16 monsters at once?

'Something isn't right here.'

'Indeed, which is why I asked you to come. If what you said in our last discussion is true – that curing these victims will ultimately save the planet – we must do our very best to protect them.' I can agree with that.

'Oh, but there's more.' He takes a deep breath. 'The monsters have not only progressed in numbers, but also in strength. During our last run, we encountered a new breed of the shadow creepers. These ones were much larger, and had glowing red eyes. Most of the 17 casualties came from the two that attacked us.'

'Strange. I was attacked by one yesterday.' I recall as the red-eyed beast lunged and clawed at me ferociously. He raises his brow questioningly.

'That is strange indeed. Perhaps…' he opens his mouth, but closes it quickly. 'Nevermind, we should really get going. We're running a bit behind schedule, and we might run into another set of convoys if we wait much longer. That would cause delays.' I nod attentively.

'Alright. To the church then?'

'Yes.' He turns around in his seat and makes a hand signal in the air. Immediately, everyone started their engines and began moving towards us.

'Let's go.'

xxxxx

The ride was still enjoyable, despite it being slow. I could only drive at 55 miles per hour, that way the convoys could keep up. Good thing I have Reeve to talk to along the way.

'You look different by the way, Cloud.' I could barely hear him through the sound of the roaring wind.

'Huh?'

'You look different!' Reeve exclaims a little louder, riding side by side with me.

'Do I?'

'Yeah! I think it's your hair. Did you do something with it?' I recall that strange moment in front of the mirror, noticing the lack of spikes. I guess I wasn't imagining things.

'No, I didn't!' I almost have to yell to be heard. 'It's probably just the wind!' He chuckles a bit, though I can't really hear anything.

'I guess so!'

We continue riding and yelling back and forth. Eventually, we both agree to stop (my throat started to hurt, no doubt his did as well) and we resort to just admiring the scenery. Well, not really admiring. There's nothing to admire about miles of endless wasteland and the outline of a ruined city far off into the distance. Not to mention the gloomy-looking clouds gathering above our heads, signaling rain.

And sure enough, it starts to pour. We're forced to slow down to 40 miles per hour, which is incredibly slow by my highway standards. The convoys seemed to be having difficulty moving in straight lines, forcing us to slow down for the safety of the civilians inside.

'So,' Reeve starts. His voice is surprisingly clear, despite the pouring rain – I guess the roaring wind makes that much more noise. 'How's Tifa?' His question catches me completely off guard, and I'm at a loss for words. For a moment, I thought he knew about our new relationship, and I began to panic. Last night, we had agreed to keep our relationship to ourselves, for now anyway.

'Great,' I manage to say with a straight face. 'She really likes what you did with the bar. She can't thank you enough.' I don't know how I managed to come up with that response. Luck, I suppose. Reeve chuckles as we continue our slow drive.

'I had a feeling she would like it,' he gives a small smile, 'how about you?'

'Well…' I return his smile, 'I don't really mind how the place looks. As long as it's live-able you know.'

'Hmm.'

'But, I'll admit that I do like it.' Reeve's smile grows wider.

'Thank you. That's a great compliment, especially from you.'

'Heh. If you say so.'

A flash of lightning strikes as the highway curves, and a long straightaway appears in sight.

'Be on guard, Cloud. This is around the area where we were attacked last time.' Reeve points with one hand further down the highway, near a billboard of some sort.

'Right.' Our slow drive continues, everyone on guard. I focus my senses as we approach said billboard, but there are no signs of disturbance. Just an out-dated billboard advertising a car of some sort.

'Do they attack in the rain?' I ask.

'This group has never done a transport in the rain. This is a first.' Damn, so there's still a chance of an attack.

'I understand.'

We drive another 5 miles, the rain continuing to pound us. We have yet to spot any signs of the black creatures, or an impending attack.

'It seems safe,' I say.

'Seems like it. Look,' he points to the distance, 'Midgar isn't too far away now. We're making good time.' I smile, feeling like I accomplished something. Well, I didn't even do anything – this was an easy job. Too easy if you ask me…

'Yeah. We should be there in about –' time seems to slow down as my ears pick up a noise and my focus goes into high gear. The air is suddenly heavy – heavy with murderous intent. This heavy, ominous feeling in my guts makes the pouring rain seem a lot lighter. My left hand automatically opens the sword compartment, and I lean in towards my bike instinctively. My right hand is on the Buster Sword, slowly pulling it out of the compartment, while the black creature hovers above me, casting its shadow on me. I had no time to look up, but I could hear the low, bestial growling from the invading shadow creeper as it missed its surprise attack. The shouts from behind me are slow, no doubt due to the heightened state of focus I'm in. My sword is above me, halfway through slicing the beast's belly, before my focus allows for time to move normally again.

'Cloud! Watch…' my large blade cuts the beast clean in two, '…out.'

I spare a glance behind me, never slowing down my bike. Reeve looks surprised, completely oblivious to the chaos that's about to ensue.

'Reeve! Damn it Reeve watch out!' The shadow creeper is directly behind him, its claws already facing forward. Reeve is turning around, swinging the pistol in his hand towards the beast. He's not going to make it.

'Reeve!' I shout as loud as I can. Damn it, those claws are aimed right at his head. He's going to die. Damn it, he's going to _die!_

Suddenly, the beast is on the ground, vanishing into black smoke as it gets trampled by the front convoy.

'Always watch your back, sir.' I look to the speaker, one of Reeve's WRO men. He is holding a pistol up, its barrel still smoking from the bullets fired earlier.

'Thank you Johnson,' Reeve turns back to face me. 'That was close.'

'Yeah-' my eyes pick up the movement – many shadows racing towards us.

'Reeve!' He makes a signal to the men, not taking his eyes off the road.

'I know. Men! Defensive formation: Protect the convoys at all costs! Cloud, can I trust you to…'

I hit the brakes, bringing me behind the entire transport group. Two beasts jump out from their shadows, lunging towards me. My blade is already there, slicing through their bodies as easily as cutting through the rain.

'…take them out.' He gives me an exasperated look, but smiles. 'You never change. Men! Continue defending the convoys. But, follow any of Cloud's commands. Stay on guard.'

'Yes sir!' The group echoes. I spot four more shadows, two on each side of the highway. I can't be at two places at once, especially now since I only have one sword.

'You there! On the left!' The man looks back to me. 'Find some backup, and defend that side of the convoy. I will defend the other side.' The man calls out to a few others around him, who move over to the left side of the convoy. I hope they can take out two of those things.

I speed towards the right side of the convoy, expecting the shadows to lash out at me. It's only a few seconds before the beasts reveal themselves, but I'm well prepared and focused. They don't stand a chance. It only took a second – their bodies vanished into blackness before they even hit the ground.

Suddenly I hear a scream, and I spot two men rolling off of their bikes. I held my breath as the convoys nearly trampled them – that would have been a terrible, gruesome way to die. Thankfully, the convoys made a quick maneuver to the right, leaving the men alive with only a few injuries. I'm about to stop and help them, but…

Fenrir skids across the pavement as I make a sharp right. The convoys were getting too close, and I might have been run over if I had stayed where I was. I slow down a bit, allowing me to go behind the convoys and move over to the left side. Pure chaos.

The vast majority of the WRO personnel are on this side, spraying bullets at a multitude of shadow creepers. And they're losing. I rush towards them, picking my spots to swing at. I managed to take out three, before having to block. I continue swinging, taking out two at a time, until I finally have the attention of all the creatures. I sped ahead of everyone, checking behind me to make sure the creatures followed. They would lunge at me, but I would block and dodge effectively. Eventually I was a few hundred meters ahead of the transport group, and I decide to go on the offensive once more.

First, I take a glance back. There are a _lot_ of them, much more than earlier. How many of them are there? 10? 15? Four creatures made the first wave. I took out two of them, but had to block the other two attackers before I could take them out. The second wave was double that. I swing my sword heavily, taking out two at once. But I'm barely able to block the next few attacks. They actually managed to hit me a couple times, but their attacks weren't that strong. I ignore the sting of my cuts as I deliver a combo of heavy blows, taking them all out effectively. There were only about 3 or 4 creatures left, still racing for me in the shadows. I gripped the handle of the Buster tighter, ready for their lunge. But they didn't. I slowed down a bit, watching as the shadows moved away from me. At first, I thought they would attack the convoys again. But the confused look on Reeve's face made it evident that the creatures were retreating.

'Sir!' starts one of the men in the back of the convoy. 'They've retreated!'

'Excellent!' shouts Reeve. He turns to me, and gives me an uncharacteristic thumbs up. 'Excellent work Cloud. Still as sharp as ever.' I chuckle, slowing down to join them again.

'Not really,' I hold out my forearms, noticing a few lines of red.

'You still got the job done.'

'I guess.' We stopped, taking another count of our personnel. Two people were missing, the two who fell off their bikes. But sure enough, they arrived shortly after, sporting only minor cuts along their arms.

'Good, everyone's here. Let's finish this.'

xxxxx

'Come on, it won't hurt you.' I reach my hand out to the young girl. She is frightened and unsure, standing near the edge of the water. I beckon once more, with a reassuring smile this time.

'I promise. Come on now.' My smile seems to have worked, but she takes hold of my fingers instead. I slowly walk backwards, leading her towards the center of the healing pool. I cup my hands together, scooping up a good amount of the clear water, and pour it above her head in baptismal fashion. The black marks along her forehead begin to disappear, being covered in the gentle green of Lifestream before revealing her healed skin.

Everyone around us rejoiced. Children and adults alike splashed happily in the pool, celebrating their regained health. I smile; this is just like the time I healed Denzel, over a month ago. I spot Reeve discussing with some of his men near the oak doors. He notices my attention on him, and walks over towards me.

'Cloud,' he says with a wide smile, 'we couldn't have done this without you.'

'It's nothing.' He chuckles a bit as I make my dripping way out of the water.

'On behalf of everyone here, I'd like to thank you,' and he gives a quick, honest bow. Everyone within earshot clapped and cheered as well – this is one of those times when it's good to be hero. Heh.

'Yeah, yeah.' I wave off their praises, but can't keep a smile off my face. Everyone would celebrate for a few more minutes, enjoying how their body feels without invading parasites. Believe me, it feels pretty good. But eventually, Reeve has to gather everyone up again, bringing them back into the convoys.

'You're sending them home already?' I ask him as we approach the large oak doors.

'Of course not! We're actually planning on bringing them to Edge; they need to get some food in their stomachs.'

'Seventh Heaven?' Reeve gives me a confused look.

'It's a Sunday. I thought Tifa didn't work Sundays.'

'Usually. Today's one of those rare Sunday specials.' I smile; Tifa wasn't supposed to work today, but she said she was 'feeling good' enough to work. I think I might have something to do with it.

'I see. Unfortunately, I can't make it – duty calls. I'm sure some of them will pay a visit though.' He exits through the door, but turns back.

'You're not leaving yet?' He asks.

'No.' He gives me a knowing smile.

'I see. Send her my regards. I'll be sure to call you again sometime this week.'

'Alright.'

Everyone gives me a giant wave goodbye before heading into their convoys, and I wave back. I waited for the sounds of their motors to disappear before heading back inside the church.

The place has gotten messier lately, with all of the infected coming in for healing. Despite its current state, this place never ceases to put me at ease. My footsteps echo throughout the entire room as I make my way towards a half-destroyed pew. I sit down carefully, not wanting to destroy the seat anymore than it is. Leaning forward in my seat, I rub my face in my palms and think. It isn't long before the familiar feeling of clear-headedness engulfs me again.

And when I open my eyes, everything is white.

'Welcome back, Cloud.'

'Aerith.'

'I see you're alright, aside from a few cuts.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Remember? There's something inside you that's different. It's still there.'

'Oh,' I shrug. 'I forgot about that.'

'Hmm. I'm sorry for reminding you then. But everything seems to be fine if you can forget about it.'

'I guess.'

'Anyways, what do you need?'

'I actually wanted to ask about you. How are you holding up there in the Lifestream?'

'Hmm. It's getting better actually. Just a little bit better each day. It's still difficult to move around, but at least it's not suffocating like it was before.'

'I see. So what we're doing is working.'

'Yes, and thank you. The Planet thanks you.' I smile.

'It's the least I could do.' I close my eyes shut.

'Going so soon?' I smile.

'I'm sorry-'

'Oh don't worry about it. Tifa's very lucky to have a man like you.'

'_What?'_

'Why so surprised?'

'Wait, how did you hear that?'

'I'm in your mind, remember?' Oh, forgot about that.

'But how did you know about me and Tifa?' She laughs happily.

'I just told you, silly. I'm talking to you through your mind, and you just happened to be thinking about her.'

'Oh.' That makes sense. But wait…

'Thinking about how you kissed last night, and how her lips tasted like sweet mango.'

'_Gaia help me.'_

'Sorry, Cloud. The Planet can't help you with that.' She laughs again. 'Don't be so embarrassed Cloud! You should be happy!'

'I am.'

'Hmmm. Well you shouldn't be putting your head down if you're happy. You better not be like that when you get home to Tifa.' I smile.

'Of course not,' I scratch my head, feeling like an idiot. 'I'll visit soon.'

'Okay. Take care of yourself.'

'I will.'

xxxxx

'Denzel, can you take these to Table 5 please? And be careful, that soup is hot!'

'Okay Tifa!'

The bar is pretty much filled, much to my surprise. Reeve must have done a good job with the 'promote your business' part of the deal. I'll have to thank him for that. Tifa is behind the counter, mixing up a few drinks for our afternoon drinkers. I'm glad she hasn't noticed me yet, otherwise she would have seen me gawking at her like a fool. She's wearing a plain, navy blue shirt that …does her chest justice, and black short shorts that…well…you know. _Yeah._

Denzel spots me, just after bringing the soup to Table 5.

'Cloud! You're back!' He runs up to me, hugging me near the waist. Marlene joins in soon after, making me the focus of the bar.

'Hey! It's Cloud!' A man in the corner raises his glass, his group of friends following in suit. These men were in the convoys from earlier. I respond with a nod, motioning Denzel and Marlene back behind the counter. Tifa is there, eyeing me with a smile. She winks at me, making me smile too. I wonder if anyone noticed that? I walk over to the counter, greeting familiars along the way. Most of the people here are actually from the same convoys I had protected earlier. No wonder they look so happy.

'Need any help?' I ask her as she wipes her hand on a cloth.

'Yeah, actually.' She brings her head over my shoulder to whisper in my ear. 'I didn't think there would be _this_ many people. I mean, this was a last-minute thing…'

'You should thank Reeve. He stuck to his part of the deal.' She pulls away then, eyes glowing. She's tired, but happy. Her hand is on my chest, and for a second I thought she would kiss me. But she takes her eyes off me, looking around the bar. More than a few eyes are on us.

'Would you mind washing the dishes for me?'

'Of course not.' I roll up my sleeves and head over to the sink.

'Thank you.' She turns to Denzel and Marlene. 'I have some drinks here. Could you bring them to those tables over there?'

'Okay!'

I smile as I begin washing the dishes. Everything seems to be going back to normal…whatever normal is. Tifa's back, working in the new-look bar. Marlene and Denzel are happy and active as always. And I've just had a successful first day of my new job. Everything's good.

Although I don't mind washing dishes for Tifa, I have to admit it gets kind of boring at times. Especially now, when there's a lot of dirty plates. Feeling slightly guilty about this, I focus my hearing to eavesdrop around. I'm interested to know what they think of the new look anyway.

'Wow! This soup is really good!' I don't recognize the voice, so I move on to another person.

'Look at this place!' I recognize this voice; it's one of the regulars here. 'It's a lot bigger!'

'They've changed all the furnishings too,' it's another regular. 'Tifa, you've done a really good job here!'

I smile, knowing Tifa feels a bit guilty. She _didn't_ do this, but she's going to accept the compliment anyway.

'Thank you,' Tifa replies. I stop my dish-washing and give her a look, letting her know that I'm listening. Immediately she flushes, and turns back to her friends, slightly embarrassed. Smiling, I turn back to washing the dishes.

'What was that, Tifa?'

'Hmm?'

'Cloud just gave you a look, and now you're blushing.'

'W-What are you talking about?' A flustered Tifa can be really entertaining at times. Her friends gasp, then giggle happily.

'Tifa…are you and Cloud together?'

'N-No! It's not like that!' Her friends laugh again as I place a clean dish to dry.

'Oh come _on_ Tifa. Everyone that's seen you two in the same room can tell that you're totally in _love_,' she emphasized the last word.

'And the same goes for him,' says the other friend. Tifa makes a pleading noise, making her friends laugh again.

'Come on Tifa! You can't lie to us.' I know Tifa's gaze is on me, and she's _dying_ to tell her friends about us. I mean, it's hard to be happy and not tell at least one person _why_ you're happy. I shrug nonchalantly as I place another dish on the drying rack. To anyone else watching me, it would've looked like a simple stretch of the shoulders. But Tifa knows better. It's a way of me saying, 'I don't care, do whatever.'

'Okaaaaay…' she says finally. 'Don't tell anybody.' The girls shrieked happily, and Tifa laughed.

'See! I knew it all along!'

'When did this happen?' asks the other friend.

'…Last night.' Though I can't see them, I know Tifa is smiling. The girls shriek again, and I hear chairs being dragged and people standing up.

'Wait, where are you taking me-' The girls continue to laugh, and I hear them moving away to the far side of the room.

'Wait, I have work to do you know!'

'Don't worry, this'll only be a second-' they've moved too far for me to hear them. I sigh, finishing up the last of the dishes and placing it on the drying rack. Wiping my hands on a cloth, I look around the bar. No new customers have arrived, but the bar is still relatively packed. Sighing, I take my usual seat at the barstool on the corner of the counter.

'Wait, Tifa! Where are you going?'

'Hold on a sec!' Suddenly she's in front of me, eyes still glowing. 'Thanks Cloud. Do you need anything?' I notice her glance at her friends, and the light blush on her cheek. I smile.

'No.' She raises her brow questioningly.

'No? Nothing? Aren't you…exhausted?'

'A bit, but I don't need anything.' She gives me a look, and sighs. As cheesy as it sounds, I don't need anything. Cause' I got her. Heh.

'You never change, Cloud.'

'I thought you said I changed a lot.' She opens her mouth to speak, but then closes it, looking confused. I laugh, and she smacks me playfully.

'Oh, shut it Cloud. Do you want this juice or not?' She shakes a bottle of my favorite apple juice in her hand.

'I guess I do. Thanks Teef.' She smiles then, and fills a clean glass with the contents. I took the glass from her gratefully, letting my skin linger on her fingers a bit longer, before taking her hand altogether with my free hand.

'Cloud…' she said nervously, looking around to her friends as I rubbed my thumb across her hand.

'It's okay,' I said, finishing the juice quickly. 'That tasted good.' She smiles at me.

'I made it from those Banora whites that Genesis gave. Delicious, huh?'

'Yeah. But I think I like mango better…' She gasps at me then, smacking me playfully on the arm.

'Cloud!' Just then, the door opens, revealing another one of our regulars. 'I'll take it from here then. Can you go upstairs and check on the kids? I told them to their homework earlier, but you know how they can get.'

'Yeah, yeah.' She squeezes my arm playfully and gives me a wink as I exit the room.

xxxxx

'Cloud, are you awake?' I open one eye and peer out at the approaching figure.

'Hmm?'

'I'm sorry Cloud, I shouldn't have opened the bar today.' She sits down on the bed and runs her hand along my exposed chest, getting all of my attention going. I sit up.

'What are you talking about?' She brings her face in front of mine, smiling softly, before leaning in to kiss me.

'I would've thought you'd like to…' she pecks my lips again, 'spend more time with me today. So I'm sorry.'

'It's alright, Teef.' I had an enjoyable day anyway, even if I didn't get to be with her as much as I would have liked. I give her a reassuring hug, before poking a finger at her side, tickling her.

'Cloud!' She laughs, but quiets down. 'Cloud s-stop it! You'll wake the k-kids, Cloud!' She pushes me back down on the bed, and embraces my chest, still laughing. We stay like this for a few more moments, just listening to the sound of our breaths.

'Sometimes, I don't think I deserve this.' She looks up at me then, unsure.

'I don't think I deserve this either.' Our eyes meet in solemn agreement. 'But the Planet gave us another chance.' She kisses me then, fully on the lips, before rolling herself off me to her side of the bed.

'Yeah. Goodnight Cloud.'

I smile, the taste of sweet mango lingering on my lips.

'_Yeah, I don't deserve this at all.'_

xxxxx

Chapter 11 – End

I really hope you read, review, and enjoy this chapter. Thanks to Prince of Winter Dragons and Bubbles for constantly reviewing, you keep my fires going.

Keep reading, keep enjoying, and I'll keep updating! Expect an update by next week. Thanks!

-Banana.


	12. Reunion

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations – Reunion

'_Tifa?' _

_I make my way up the wooden steps towards the front door. I press myself slightly against the door, only to have it open. It wasn't locked, let alone closed properly. There is a warm glow from the lights above, revealing the empty yet organized bar. I glance at my watch, noticing that the hand no longer moves with each passing second. Strange._

_My feet are slow, the footsteps resonating very loudly throughout the room. It's the only sound I can hear. I pass by the living room, noticing the news reporter on the running T.V. He's lonely; no one is in the room to watch and receive whatever news he brings. I glance into his eyes, not hearing a single word coming out of his mouth, and he turns away suddenly, looking scared. The lonely reporter gives me hesitant glances, fear stricken in his eyes, and points left – towards the kitchen. Then, the T.V. turns off._

'_What the hell?'_

_I make my way to the kitchen, only to enter a hallway instead. My vision turns slightly red, with each resounding step echoing into my brain. For some reason, my hands begin to tremble, and a single drop of sweat runs down the side of my head. Is this-is this fear? The hallway is endless, a long corridor of never-ending doors. After what seems like an eternity, I finally stop, facing the door on my left. Nothing in particular stands out with this door – it looks exactly the same as the ones I've passed. My sweaty palms smother the doorknob, and the door creaks loudly as it opens._

_The first thing I notice is the air. I could see my breath as I took a single, cautious step inside the room. It's dark, turning my red-tinted vision into blood. The second thing I see is the man. His back is towards me, slouched menacingly near the bed. His shadow is large, completely black against the wall. But what was most striking about him was his hair – shoulder length, thin, and silver. I move my gaze down towards his hand, and it's surprising; I had come to expect a sword. But no, there was no weapon at all. Just a curled up fist, dripping with a black substance. Perhaps it's blood. _

_But the third and final thing is the body. It is a woman, and her shape is strikingly familiar. She lies on the floor, bloody and beaten under the man's shadow. Her arm is severely broken, unnaturally bent. There is a trail of blood leading away from her fingers, and I follow it with my gaze. Only to find a single, leather glove._

'_Oh God.'_

_There's so much…so much blood, it's making me sick. Which is strange, because I've seen so much more blood than this. But why, why is this scene making me so uncomfortable? There is a gust of cold air, sending shivers through my bones. The man's long hair blows wildly about, and I take a step back. He turns around and faces me. I couldn't see his face. But he…he had eyes; green, cat-like eyes that felt so cold and heavy when he looked at me. I turn away instinctively, landing my eyes on the woman. Her face is clad in shadow as well, empty and void of any life. Suddenly, a flash of lightning strikes beyond the broken window. And I could see her face. It was only for a moment, but it takes less than a moment for me to recognize. The woman, sprawled dead on the floor…is Tifa. Instinctively, I open my mouth. But nothing comes out. Not a cold breath escapes my lips. The room is blood-red dark again, and I feel a hand on my shoulder. It's the man. Those cold, hard eyes of his stare right back at me, and every nerve of my body reacted. It was fear – the kind of fear that comes when you're powerless and near your end. My feet were miles ahead of my mind, running out of the room like a madman. I ran into the wall outside, and the entire hallway began to shake. The ceiling and floor are cracking, and parts have already begun to crumble. Not thinking, I ran. I ran for dear life. _

_Eventually, the crumbling would catch up to me. I nearly tripped as the ground below me fell into nothingness. I reached out wildly, all of my actions dictated by fear. My sweaty palms caught something round and metal, and I struggled to pull myself up._

_When I was finally able to stand, I was in a room, holding a doorknob. I slammed the door shut, panting heavily. I stayed like that for a few more minutes, recollecting my nerves while facing the door. Taking one deep breath, I turn around to check my surroundings._

_There was a man with a bloody fist. A dead Tifa sprawled on the floor. A broken window to keep out the thunderstorm. And the cold, cat-like eyes that could only mean murder. It's the same room from earlier._

xxxxx

I sit up abruptly, breathing hard. Instinctively I look to my left – she's there, sleeping soundly. I continue to stare at her sleeping form, making sure my eyes aren't deceiving me. Softly, I brush a strand of hair away from her eyes, and she stirs a little bit. Her skin is warm. Thank god, it was a nightmare after all.

For the past two weeks, I've been having similar nightmares. There would be some minor changes, but each time, Tifa would be dead by the hands of a silver-haired man. Sephiroth. Well, at first it was. Every now and then, his hair and would be shorter, along with his blade. Tonight, his hair was only shoulder length, and he didn't have a blade at all. What's this supposed to mean?

I take a few deep breaths before getting up slowly. I don't feel like going back to bed. I spare a glance at the digital clock on my right: it's only 5:36am. My steps are soft as I make my way towards Tifa's side of the bed, and I bring my face above hers. Her lips are pursed, just like in my nightmares. I give her a soft kiss on the forehead, taking note of how warm and alive she feels. She stirs a tiny bit, and the edges of her lips pull up in a small, unconscious smile. I smile back.

Still being quiet, I make my way into the hallway. I look around – it's not an infinite hallway. Oh god, am I getting paranoid? I pass by the children's room, noticing an empty bed. Denzel. Sighing, I quietly make my way down the wooden staircase.

Denzel nearly chokes on his milk when he gains sight of me. I squeeze his shoulder as I head for the cupboard, pulling out a clean glass. I take a seat in front of him, pouring some milk into my glass, before speaking up.

'Couldn't sleep, Denzel?' He nods silently.

'How about you?' He asks, biting on a cookie. I give him a look. 'I know, I know! It's only one cookie.' He holds up his hands innocently, and I smile.

'Don't worry, I do that sometimes too.' I take one of his cookies. He doesn't complain. 'I couldn't sleep either.'

We stay like this for a few more moments, just enjoying each other's company. I haven't had much time to do this kind of thing with him in a while.

'Do you want to tell me about it, Denzel?' He looks up from his cookie munching, eyes distant. 'You can tell me.' He nods slowly.

'It was the same nightmare from before.'

'I see.'

'It was a little bit different this time though,' he looks away from me. It seems I'm not the only one having recurring nightmares.

'What do you mean?' He looks at me, unsure. He doesn't say anything. 'It's all right. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.' I move closer to give him a pat on the shoulder, but he brushes my hand away.

'I-I'm sorry, Cloud,' he begins wiping the tears forming in his eyes. I grip his shoulder again, but he doesn't push it away this time. 'My parents weren't there. It was you and Tifa and Marlene. The plate was breaking, and I was trying to shout at you guys. But nothing would come out.' He swipes at his eyes again. 'You guys were just…talking. Like nothing was happening. But the plate was falling right above you and-' I stop him before he has a breakdown.

'It's okay, Denzel. We're here, we're still alive.' I grip his shoulder tighter to reassure him. His sobbing stops after a few more moments.

'I know.' He takes a big gulp from his milk. 'I can still taste my milk.' I chuckle.

'And the cookies. Here, take one more.' I push the cookie jar towards him, and he happily takes one.

'How about you? Did you have a nightmare too, Cloud?' I smile. How would Denzel react, if I told him his hero was having nightmares too?

'Sort of,' I chuckle.

'What happened?' Terrible things happened.

'Sephiroth.' He nods his head silently.

'Oh.' We continue munching on our cookies. 'I've never really seen or met Sephiroth, but from what Tifa tells me, he sounds like a nasty person.' I smile.

'He is. He's nasty, terrible, and every other bad thing you could think of.' Denzel chuckles.

'Cloud, um…Tifa told me some things about you and Sephiroth. They were all really terrible, so it must be really tough whenever you think about him.'

'It is.'

'You're not a monster like him, Cloud.' I nearly choked on my milk. He laughs.

'I know. Thanks.' I drink the last of my milk, Denzel long since finished his share. 'You should go back upstairs, Denzel.' He looks up to me, unsure again. 'Hey, it'll be alright this time. It's barely six in the morning, kids your age shouldn't be waking up at this time.' He groans.

'Fine, fine.' He places his glass in the sink and walks out of the kitchen. 'Thanks, Cloud.' I give him a dismissive wave, smiling.

'_Thank you too.'_

xxxxx

'Yo! Watch out man!' I don't even have to look – I already know where it's going to attack. I swing the Buster Sword heavily to my right, effectively destroying two lunging shadow creepers.

'On your left, Barret,' I call.

'I know that, idiot!' He grins at me before shooting out the window of his pickup truck.

'Sir Reeve! The enemy is retreating!'

'Good!' Reeve responds from his red motorcycle. 'Keep firing until you're sure they've retreated. We'll regroup at the next exit.'

My senses pick up a movement – one of the few remaining shadow creepers – and I swing my blade. As swift and decisive as it came, it vanished into thin air.

'Man, you're making this look easy!' Barret calls as we halt to a stop.

'I'm used to it now. Their attack patterns.'

'Tch. Tryin' to be all smart now, huh?'

'Whatever you say,' I smile at him, and he gives me a friendly punch in the shoulder.

'Ahh,' Barret sighs pleasurably, 'it feels kinda good to be fighting, as bad as that sounds.'

'Of course. It's what we do, isn't it?'

'Heh. I guess,' he turns his attention to Reeve. 'Yo, boss!'

'Barret, Cloud,' Reeve joins us, 'I need you two to head back there. There's been a few casualties, please bring them on your truck. We'll be trying to communicate with another transport group, see if they're going to join us.'

'Okay. What about their vehicles?'

'Two of our convoys are empty, you can put their motorcycles inside. I'm sending them right now.' He signals to the two convoys.

'Alright. Let's go, Barret.'

We backtrack our way through the highway, helping all of the injured onto Barret's truck.

'Cloud, get that dude over there. I'll get these two,' he points to an injured man, some ways along the concrete. I get off my bike and run towards him. It's only then I realize how exhausted I am.

'You okay?' The injured man rolls himself over, belly-up.

'Yeah.'

'Here, take my hand.' I pull him up, bringing his arm around my shoulder to support him. Slowly, we make our way to Barret's truck.

'Ah, damn,' the injured man mutters painfully.

'Hey, you alright there?'

'I'm sorry, my leg is acting up-' he grasps his right thigh tightly, and I notice a trail of blood leading up to his shoes.

'Hey, don't strain yourself.' Now carrying him on my back, I notice how much blood is pouring out of his leg. It's dripping along my right arm. 'You're in no condition to walk.'

'I'm sorry.'

Carrying him is a bit more difficult than I thought. Normally this kind of thing is easy, but today, I just don't have that strength. It was a rather large attack, and I got rid of a ton of shadow creepers. Even with Barret's help, I'm tired out. Suddenly, I'm on one knee, breathing hard.

'Hey, Cloud! You- you okay?' the injured man asks.

'_What the hell?'_

My body doesn't want to move. I'm trying to get up, but it's just not happening. There's not even a response. My legs have gone numb, yet I can still feel my toes. It's like I'm numb from the inside.

'Cloud?'

Now I'm starting to panic a bit. What the hell is going on? I take a deep breath, and focus all my energy on standing up. When I open my eyes, I'm standing again, thankfully. But I didn't feel a thing.

'Sorry bout' that. You're a little heavier than I thought. No offense or anything.'

'None taken.'

It's only a few more meters until we reach Barret's truck. I still couldn't feel a thing from my legs – I was watching my steps to make sure I was actually walking. There's only 5 people in there, and they all seem to be alive. Some of them are awake, and talking to each other.

'Johnson!' says one of them.

'Hey,' the injured man pats me on the shoulder. 'Thanks for all the help. I can take care of myself from here though.'

'Alright then,' I drop him off gently in the back of the pickup, where he positions himself beside his friend. I leave them and head towards Fenrir.

'Yo!' Barret calls as he walks towards his pickup. 'I saw that little slipup earlier. What's the matter man? Getting a bit…weak?' He gives me a friendly punch. For some reason, this made me really, really angry.

'Shut the hell up, Barret-' I managed to stop myself before I could say anything else.

'_What the hell was that? Why did I get so angry just now?'_

'Haha, I'm just playin' with ya.' Thankfully, Barret didn't notice the genuine coldness in my expression. 'Let's head back, shall we?'

'Yeah…'

xxxxx

A tired sigh escapes me as sit up. Did I fall asleep? I look around, recognizing the unchanged walls of our living room. I must have taken a nap or something. Spotting my sword on the floor, I grab it and quietly head out to the bar area.

It's nearly empty, save for a few of our regulars. Denzel and Marlene are eating at one of the tables, with their favorite regulars. I rub my eyes, still feeling a bit sleepy. But then I spot Tifa. She's standing by one of the tables, talking to the regulars there. She's wearing red short shorts, and a white t-shirt with some cool looking, red floral design on it. Her back is to me, and I can't help but gawk at her like an idiot. Then again, who could?

'Hey, he's awake!' says one of the girls at Tifa's table. I compose myself immediately, not wanting to be caught gawking like a fool.

'Cloud!' Denzel and Marlene run towards me, leaving their previous 'dinner playmates' behind. That was kind of rude, but they wave at me anyway, smiling.

'Hey. You shouldn't just leave them like that you know? That's rude,' I quietly scold Marlene and Denzel. They raise their hands innocently.

'Sorry, sorry.' They give me a quick hug, before running back to their seats.

'Tifa,' I greet her with a smile.

'Cloud,' she walks up to me slowly, but stops right in front of me. I thought she had something to say, judging from the serious look in her eyes. But she smiles suddenly, and gives me a great big hug.

'Eh…Tifa..' I notice her friends laughing in the corner and whispering to themselves. I recognize them as the girls from two weeks ago, the ones who know about me and Tifa's relationship. Everyone else in the room seems to have their attention on us too. Luckily, there's barely anybody in here at this time. I'm not a fan of attention.

'I haven't seen you all day, Cloud.'

'I know, I'm sorry.'

'Won't you come eat with me?' She points to the table, with the two other girls. They wave enthusiastically.

'Uh…'

'I know, I know.' _You're not that social,_ she's thinking. 'It'll be alright though.'

'Hmm. I guess…' she gives me a wonderful smile, before hugging me again. I guess that's worth some social embarrassment and awkwardness. She grabs me by the hand and we make our way to the table.

'Hey, Tifa… is it okay for Denzel and Marlene to be-' I motion towards them, eating dinner with one of the older regulars.

'It's fine, Cloud. Graham's a good man, I trust him. Besides, all he does is tell them stories. And they've eaten dinner with him before, sometimes when you weren't home for dinner…'

'Oh…' she squeezes my arm.

'Hey, it's okay!' she smiles. I smile back.

'Hi Cloud!' greets one of the two ladies.

'Uh…hi.'

'Cloud,' says Tifa. 'I'll just go get your food.'

'Okay…' I watched with a little bit of fear as Tifa left me with her friends. Crap.

'So, Cloud…' said one of the girls deviously. 'I like your new hairdo.'

'The less-spiky suits you,' continued the other friend. What the hell?

'Um…thanks.' I give my best fake smile and scratch the back of my head.

'But then again…'

'You can make anything look good.'

'_What? Are these girls trying to…flirt with me?' _I raise my brow questioningly.

'Ehhh? Is that your sword?' Crap. 'Can I see?' both girls give their biggest grin.

'Um…' Thankfully, Tifa arrives to save me from any embarrassment.

'Here's your food, Cloud.' She places a bowl of steaming beef teriyaki, cooked Wutai style. Awesome. I give her a large grin as I dig in with my chopsticks. I caught the girls' faces – slightly shocked at my eagerness to eat – but I kept eating anyway. I'm sure that looking like a pig is less embarrassing than me trying to have a conversation. Tifa laughs.

'You must be really exhausted' she says, stifling her laughter.

'Even like this he looks pretty cute.'

'Yeah.'

'I agree,' says Tifa. I give her a look, and she giggles. I put down my finished bowl, satisfied.

'It's not my fault your food tastes so good.' Her friends giggle, and Tifa smiles at me.

'Thanks,' she brings her hand behind me head, and pulls me in for a kiss. A deep, long, kiss. I was shocked to say the least, and her friends were too judging from the look on their faces. But at this point, I don't care anymore.

'You can go now,' she says, pulling away. _I don't want to go anymore, I just wanna kiss you._

'Tifa…'

'Thanks for eating dinner with me.' I glance at her friends, who look just about ready to burst. Okay, maybe leaving isn't such a bad idea.

'Fine. I've got a bit of work to do anyway. Have fun.' I turn around to leave, but not before she gives me another peck on the lips.

xxxxx

_My sweaty palms tremble as I twist the doorknob. The air inside is cold, and the soft breeze chills me to the core._

'_Not this again.'_

_I already know what I'm going to see, but I can't shake off this feeling of fear. Lightning strikes beyond the broken windows. Tifa's body is spread out on the floor, joints bent and broken. A stream of blood makes its way to the door. And the dark shadow of a man covers half the room. His hands are curled up in a fist…wait, no. They're holding something…a hilt. The red hilt of a sword, but there is no blade. I look up meet his cold, cat-like eyes. His attention is focused on the lady before him. His hair is silver, gleaming in the red backdrop that is this nightmare. But his hair is much shorter than before. _

_Suddenly he turns to me, and points his hilt towards my chest. There is no blade, but for some reason, I feel like I'm being pierced. I look down, spotting the blood pouring out of my chest. But there is no blade, just empty air. When I looked up again, the eyes were right in front of me. Filled with the intent to murder._

xxxxx

'Cloud, Cloud!' My vision is very blurry as I open my eyes.

'Huh?' Suddenly I feel an embrace, and I found myself embracing back. After a moment, my vision becomes clear, and Tifa pulls away from me, looking pale.

'You're alright…' her eyes are starting to water.

'Yeah, of course I am…'

'That was some nightmare you were having. You…you…' She grips my shirt tightly.

'What happened?'

'I don't know…you were saying things. "Why…why are you ki-killing m-me…" '

'Did I say that?'

'Y-Yeah...' she embraces me one more time for good measure.

'I'm sorry, Tifa. I'm alright now though.'

'I don't know Cloud. You're always coming home exhausted, and you look really pale right now. Even your hair won't cooperate.'

'It's been rebellious lately.' She smiles softly then. Hopefully my positive attitude will rub off on her.

'Maybe you should stay home today? Take a little break…'

'I can't Tifa, you know I can't.' She looks up at me pleadingly.

'I'm just…really worried about you.'

'I know. How about I go do my deliveries today, and if I don't feel well, I'll take tomorrow off.'

'…okay then.' She hugs me one more time after I get up from bed, before heading down the stairs to prepare the bar for the day.

I stretch my arms, my body feeling a bit sore. This is nothing – one nice, hot shower should do the trick.

xxxxx

'Cloud, is that you?' The old man waves at me as I halt to a stop in front of him.

'Yeah.'

'Wow, I couldn't recognize you for a second.'

'You're not the first person who's said that to me lately.'

'Hmm. I think it's your hair. It's getting a bit thinner…'

'Yeah, I know.'

'You're not looking too good yourself, Cloud.' I smile.

'I'm not.' And I thought I'd be able to get through today.

'You should go home and rest. Your family's probably worried about you.'

'They are, and I plan on going home. Here's your package.'

'Thank you,' says the man, placing a stack of gil in my hands. 'Drive safely, Cloud.'

'Yeah. Take care,' and that ends my long and tiring day of work. Getting back on Fenrir, I could feel just how sore my arms and back are. It was getting dark already, and the ride home would take at least an hour. Ignoring the soreness, I cranked up the speed and concentrated on getting home.

The ride itself was tiring as well. By the time I got to Seventh Heaven, my energy was all burnt out. It was late at night, and I had a feeling Tifa would be mad. I gulped as I opened the door. The bar itself was rather empty, which came as a surprise.

'Close the bar please, Cloud?' Tifa's voice called from the living room.

'Alright…' I turned over the sign to 'closed' and made my way to the sofa, where she sat comfortably in my blue blankets.

'There were no customers for a while, and I got distracted,' she smiles sheepishly at me. 'So?'

'So…'

'How are you feeling?' she grasps my hand.

'I feel like crap.' She chuckles.

'I bet you do. You don't usually talk like that.'

'Yeah,' I sigh tiredly.

'I bet I can make you feel a bit better though…' she winks at me, smiling seductively. She's pulling me towards her, grabbing me by the shirt. Her breath is sweet, her lips an inch away. But she doesn't kiss me; instead, she begins to pull away. Not wanting to lose my chance, I lean forward to kiss her. I could feel her smile, and I found myself smiling in between kisses.

But suddenly, I lose control. I can't seem to move my body – I can't even _feel_ anything at all. Yet, I'm continuing to kiss her, with more and more fervor and passion. My eyes are wide open, shocked to see what my body is doing. I caught a glimpse of her hand slipping under my shirt, and my nerves exploded with intensity. Her hands on my chest are the only thing I feel – I can't even feel my lips pressing up against her neck.

'Cloud…' she whispers, but it only intensifies my actions.

'_No, no, no. This isn't how it's supposed to happen!'_

My hands are on her sides, gently sliding against her curves. Now, I can feel my own hands, sliding underneath her shirt.

'_This isn't how I wanted this to happen.'_

I can feel her hands again, but this time, they seem to be pushing. I took it as a warning sign, and I focused as hard as I could to stop. But nothing was responding to my brain.

'C...Cloud…'

I close my eyes this time, focusing. I focused my entire mind, will…my entire being, into stopping. I even prayed a little bit. If things get of hand…well, things _won't_ get out of hand any more than they already are. I won't allow it.

Suddenly, all feeling is thrown back into my body. I can feel my sore arms holding me up. The blood is rushing to my head as I look down upon her, her face slightly shocked. My heart is palpitating, like it's going to rip itself out of my chest. And my entire body is covered in sweat. My breathing is hard as I push myself off of her and onto the floor. I sit up quickly, rubbing my face in my palms.

'_What the hell just happened?'_

'Cloud…'

'I-I'm sorry, Tifa. Please forgive me. I-I…I don't know what just happened to me.'

'Um…yeah.' She gives me a small smile, looking unsure but not entirely upset. Isn't she mad at me for just…advancing on her?

'You're not…mad?'

'I'm shocked, but not really mad. I mean, this happens sometimes at the bar…'

'What!'

'I mean, some men get drunk and…but I can take care of myself! I just kick them out.' She waves her hands innocently as my glare intensifies. If I ever saw another man doing that to Tifa, I will _kill_ them. _Kill._

Taking deep breaths, I bury my face in my palms again. I need to calm down.

'Tifa…I don't think you should sleep with me tonight.'

'It's okay, I trust you Cloud.' She squeezes my hand.

'I don't trust myself.' She looks at me then, confused. 'Tifa, I just…I'll just sleep on the sofa.'

'…Are you sure? If anything, I should sleep on the sofa, and you sleep in the bedroom. I mean, it's _your_ bedroom.'

'No, you take the bed.' I look away from her, ashamed of what I had just tried to do.

'Hey, it's okay. But if you want to sleep on the sofa, you can.' She smiles at me, and I feel little bit better. At least she's not pissed and I don't have a bruise on my face.

'Yeah, I'll sleep here.' She brings herself close, and suddenly I'm afraid again. Afraid that the same thing is going to happen. Thankfully, she only kisses me on the cheek, and I didn't lose control of myself or anything.

'Goodnight then.'

'Goodnight.'

xxxxx

My eyes open to a dark-red world.

'_Is this a dream?'_

I push myself off of the floor, and walk unsteadily towards the wooden staircase. I struggle to balance, but manage to make it up the staircase in one piece. The hallway seems longer…_much_ longer. As if the walls are expanding. I head for the door on the far left, a very familiar looking door. Thunder echoes throughout the house as I open the doorknob.

The room is surprisingly cold. Maybe it's from my sweating body, or the air is simply cold, I'm not sure. Lightning strikes in the distance, and I catch a glimpse of the beautiful, sleeping figure on the bed. She hasn't noticed me.

It's strange, this feeling. It feels like a dream – my entire body is numb, and the only thing I can control is my eyes. It's as if I'm observing, while everything moves on its own. An object shines near the bed; a large sword with a red handle. My legs are moving me towards it, but for what reason, I don't know.

'_It seems you're not just an empty puppet after all.' _This voice inside my head is not mine. It's familiar, bt I can't identify…

Suddenly, the voice begins to laugh. A terrible, evil cry that nearly burst my heart open with fear.

'_You are so easy to control! Cloud!' _The voice continues to laugh – cold, maniacal laughter this time. It can't be him…

'_Oh, but you're wrong, Cloud. It _is_ me, you incompetent fool.'_

'_How? That's impossible!' _I shout back. My hand is on the red hilt of the blade, holding it up in front of my face. A flash of lightning strikes, and for a second I could see it. The reflection, it was not _me._ My hair was barely spiked, but there was no denying the dreaded silver color and the glowing, cat-like eyes.

'_You are so naïve, Cloud. Did you really think that an inferior race such as _you humans _could have possibly defeated me? Didn't I tell you, that I will _never, ever _be a memory?'_

'_Stop. Stop. Stop!' _I cry as I approach the sleeping Tifa. My arm extends, pointing the blade at the defenseless figure.

'_I'm tired of waiting, Cloud. Enjoy watching the woman you love die by your own hand.'_

I focused. I shouted. I cried, and I failed. My body simply would not respond. Tifa was so defenseless, just lying there peacefully. I prayed – I prayed to whatever God there is out there that my body would stop. I swore that I would protect Tifa from anyone. Anyone and anything. If I had to fight ten Sephiroths, I would do it. But no, this, I couldn't have possibly prepared for.

'_How can I protect Tifa against myself?'_

A cold, evil laugh resonates throughout my mind.

'_You can't, Cloud.'_

xxxxx

So, there it is. I'm really sorry about this SUPER late update. I should've mentioned last chapter that I would be going through my final exams in school this week. So, I'm really sorry for the late update.

There are a bunch of people I need to thank. **Raven Crimson, Iris Irene, Kerapal Bubbles, Prince of Winter Dragons, Serina Tsuki, With Love – Kaitlin, **and our anonymous reviewer **Karen** for reviewing the previous chapter. Thank you so much!

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Please continue to send me your thoughts about the story, and most importantly, ENJOY ~

-Banana =D


	13. The Nightmare Begins

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is owned by Square Enix.**

Transformations – The Nightmare Begins

'_Ugh…'_

My head is spinning. Everything hurts. I'm seeing white.

'_Was everything just…a dream?'_

Something very cold is surrounding my body, and I attempt to move. But then I hear voices…

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, I'm sure! I saw him around here last night, I swear I did!'

'Last night? There was a huge snowstorm last night, why would he walk around in that weather?'

'He's insane, isn't he? It's just like the reports say…'

'If he was outside last night, there's no way he would have survived. He would have died from the cold.'

'He could've gotten a jacket-'

'It wouldn't matter. What human could survive in those conditions with just a jacket?'

'He isn't human though! This is Sephiroth we're talking about!'

What did he just say? No, that can't be right. Sephiroth is…Sephiroth is dead.

'We have yet to confirm if the culprit is in fact Sephiroth. Eyewitnesses claim that the culprit has much shorter hair-'

'Oh come on! Who else has silver hair, green eyes, and carries a sword around like that?'

'They also claim that the sword is different. Sephiroth's Masamune is quite long, unlike-'

'He's a 1st Class Soldier! Does it matter what sword he uses? I mean, he took out a whole platoon of you guys didn't he?'

'Yes, well…those were inexperienced WRO recruits-'

'Still! They were WRO. Who could take out a whole platoon of WRO? The AVALANCHE?'

'The AVALANCHE members would never do such a thing. President Tuesti himself is a member of AVALANCHE-'

'Who could it be then?'

Impossible. There's no way…It was just a dream. It _had _to be. I mean...what about…the blood…_Tifa…_

'I wouldn't know…'

'It's Sephiroth! Who else could it be? I mean, he's burned down two villages and it's only been a week since he first came back-'

'It's been a week since the first witness. He could have been around for a lot longer than that.'

'Exactly! And don't forget about Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart!'

Oh God. Please, tell me this is just a dream…this can't be real…

'How do you know about that? We haven't released any details about them yet!'

'Classified? It's _Cloud Strife_ and _Tifa Lockhart_ for Gaia's sake. If anything happened to _them,_ it would spread like wildfire!'

'What…what do you know?'

'Only that Edge was attacked and something happened. Cloud went missing too.'

No. No, no, no, no, NO! This isn't happening! What happened to Tifa!

'I see…'

'It's _got to be _Sephiroth's doing! He attacked them last week, same time as the first witness reports! Tifa probably managed to get away, but Cloud…Sephiroth probably _killed him_! And then burned his body or something! It only makes sense!'

Get away? Is she hurt? Damnit, say something!

'That's what we've been thinking as well…but it's hard to believe. I mean, Cloud beat Sephiroth already.'

'Yeah, and Sephiroth came back didn't he? I'm sure he's capable of coming back again.'

'That's a scary thought.'

'It is! The world needs to know about this!'

'We still haven't confirmed it-'

'That's bull-'

'I didn't come here to negotiate a plan of action. I came here to investigate your claim.' The man coughs. ' And clearly, he's not here…'

'Whatever! I know it's Sephiroth, and if I live to see you again, I'll say, "I told you so!" '

'Che. I'll be going then. You've wasted my time enough.'

'Yeah, get out of here! Won't listen to me…'

This is impossible. This can't be real, it has to be a dream. How many times have I beaten Sephiroth already? He can't come back. It's impossible. This is all just a dream, just like last night…

Oh God. That doesn't make sense either. If last night was a dream, then this has to be real. But that would mean Sephiroth is alive, and Tifa… If Sephiroth did anything to her- no, he wouldn't do anything to her. I wouldn't let him _touch _her. But why…why do I not remember fighting Sephiroth? Why do I only remember…my blade pointing at Tifa…

Damn. If this is a dream, then last night was reality. That means…that it was _me_ who…hurt…Tifa. I wouldn't do that. Never. So what the hell is going on?

'Shit!' I sit up abruptly in frustration. The motion sent aches across my body, but I don't care. I'm going insane – that's much worse than simple aches. This has to be a dream. There's snow _everywhere._ There was no snow in Edge last night, just a thunderstorm. And this isn't even Edge. There are no buildings…just a vast expanse of snow and mountains and trees. But if this is a dream, then last night was real. I can't accept that! There's no way!

'GRAHHH!'

I get up on my feet, the process painful. The cold stings my bare hands as I brush off the layers of snow covering my body. Staring at my hands – now a pale red due to the snow – I come to a conclusion. This is reality. I can feel the snow. I can feel the cold wind. This _is_ reality, and last night was a dream.

I take a deep breath, trying my best to calm myself down.

'I am not insane. This is reality.'

'_Oh, but you ARE insane.' _

No way. It can't be…

'_You are so entertaining, Cloud.'_

'_Sephiroth!'_

'_That took you long enough. Of course, that's to be expected since you are a fool. Just like the rest of your race.'_

'_Wait…you're…here! Then…last night…'_

'_Last night?' _He laughs amusedly. _'You mean, last week?'_

'_Last week?'_

'_I don't need to remind you how weak you are. Did you think I would only take control of you for a moment?' _He laughs another hysterical laugh. _'Foolish. Controlling you is so much fun.'_

'_You…you bastard!'_

'_Call me what you like. It's the only thing you can do. I can take control of you any moment I wish.'_

'_Then…why am I in control right now?'_ Another laugh.

'_You will find out soon enough.' _His laughter gets more and more distant, until it recedes into the back of my mind. Considering him, he probably won' bother me for a while. Simply observe from the back of my mind while the chaos he's wreaked catches up to me. He can probably still hear my thoughts though. That bastard.

'_Well, you may not be as foolish as you look.'_

'_Shut up.'_ Once again, his laughter recedes into the depths of my mind. I take a deep breath; it's time to get away from here. Somebody may have heard my shouting earlier. I grab the red hilt sticking out of the thick snow, and pull out the Buster Sword. It's been battered, with many scratches and a very small part chipped off. Sephiroth must have used this.

Regardless, I fit the sword against my back. Zack entrusted me with this sword. It's also…a reminder; a reminder that I should be myself, and to not live someone else's life. Not Zack's, not Sephiroth's, not anybody's.

'_Are these the thoughts that go through your head? How foolish.'_

I ignore him. He's already taken residence in my body; I won't let him enjoy my frustration and irritation. If I want to get through this, I need to keep my cool.

'_You can try.'_

There's smoke beyond the mountains; a settlement. Resolving myself, I begin to walk.

Each step is painful. My body aches all over, as if I haven't rested in over a day. Probably a part of Sephiroth's torture. Still, I found myself panting against a tree quite often. The cold doesn't help much either, even though I do have a jacket…

Wait a minute, this jacket isn't mine. Sephiroth's laughter echoes throughout my head; this is his doing. I check the pockets. There's a wallet…with ID…and pictures. The wallet belongs to a man in his thirties. He has a picture here…with his wife and little girl. It's a beautiful picture. I turn it over; bloodstains.

'_Sephiroth, you're despicable.'_

'_It's a very nice jacket though, isn't it? Nice and warm…'_

I remove the jacket, not wanting to wear it anymore. Sephiroth took this from someone, probably _killed_ that person…I refuse to wear this.

'_I knew you'd do this. So predictable. But…are you sure you want to do that?' _A strong gust of wind rushes past. _'You won't survive in this cold.' _Damn. He's right, I won't survive. It's only been a few seconds, and I'm already feeling my limbs go numb. But, this doesn't belong to me…

I've got no choice. I can't die, that would also be his plan. And I've got a family I need to see…I need to explain to them. I need them to understand and…I need them to forgive me. I need to see Tifa, and make sure she's okay. And then, I'll make Sephiroth pay.

'_Try me.'_

Just you wait, then. Sighing, I put the jacket back on. Once I reach the town, I'll get rid of this jacket, and get another one on my own.

'_That is, if you have any money.'_

Damn, I forgot about that. I reach into my pants – they're _mine_ for sure – and I feel…no wallet. Just then a thought occurs to me – my phone. If I have my phone with me, maybe I can contact Tifa. Maybe…

But no, my phone is broken. The screen is cracked, and I can't even press any buttons since it's been iced over. It's probably out of battery anyway. Damn it all!

'_So entertaining,'_ Sephiroth laughs.

'_Shut up.'_

xxxxx

My head is warm – I guess I'm not outside anymore. But…what happened?

'Hellooo?' The female voice calls. 'Oh you're awake!' she says as I open my eyes.

For a moment, I thought it was Aerith. But it's not. I sit up abruptly.

Sitting beside the bed is a young lady, probably in her late teens. Her chestnut brown hair cascades in waves, and she smiles at me. She reminds me of Aerith.

'_That stupid girl? I enjoyed killing her.'_

'…'

'Hey, you should lie back down.' She motions for me to sit down, but I shake my head.

'Where am I?' She stares at me, rather stupefied at my behavior.

'You're at the Icicle Inn. And you should really lie back down…' she says worriedly. How did I get from Edge to the Icicle Inn? Sephiroth gives a cold laugh.

'I think I'll be fine…'

'No! I mean…' she lowers her voice, 'you passed out in front of the town and…and you were wounded everywhere!' She motions to my bandaged chest. 'I really don't think you're in any condition to move around.' She stares at me determinedly; she's not going to let me go. I sigh, and lie back down.

'Fine.' She smiles at me then, and walks towards the door.

'I'll go get you something. Stay put, okay?' I give her a nod. 'Good,' and she winks at me.

'_What the hell?'_

'_She's obviously interested in you, Cloud.'_

'_Well, that's too bad for her.'_ I close my eyes and lie on my side, facing the window. The snow falls lightly outside, seemingly calm. I wish I could be like that right about now.

'_Not interested, you say?'_

'_Of course not. I'm with Tifa. She's the only one I'm interested in.'_

'_Really? She did give you those wounds you know.'_

'_What!' _He snickers.

'_That whore is a lot stronger than she looks.' _She's not a whore, you sadistic freak. _'Oh well, it was a pleasurable experience.' _He laughs an evil laugh.

'_What did you DO to her!' _Another laugh.

The door opens then, and the girl returns with a steaming cup in her hands.

'Here, drink this. It will make you feel better.' I take the cup from her gratefully, and take a sip; hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon. It tastes quite delicious, and helps me calm down. I can't afford to lose my cool here.

'It's really good.' She smiles widely.

'Thanks. I made it,' she toys with a lock of brown hair.

'_She's quite lovely isn't she, Cloud?'_

'…'

'_You desire her, do you not-'_

'_No, I don't! What I want, is to see Tifa and make sure she's okay!' _Sephiroth laughs.

'_Why so angry?'_

'_Shut up. It's for Tifa's sake.'_

'Uhm…are you okay? You looked really agitated for a moment,' the woman moves closer, curious. Well, the blush on her face says otherwise. I turn away.

'Yeah, I'm okay.' I need to get out of here. 'Where's your restroom?' She looks at me incredulously.

'It's over there,' she points to a door across the hallway, 'but…'

'I'm alright,' I reassure her, standing up quickly and placing the hot cup on the side table. I spot my sword by the doorway…

But she gets there first. She takes a spot directly beside the doorway, between me and my sword. Damn.

'You _are_ going to the bathroom, right?' She gives me a knowing, amused look.

'…Yeah.' There's no helping it. I sigh, making my way to the bathroom door; she watched me the entire time. Closing the door behind me, I turn my attention to the mirror. I nearly freaked out.

Silver hair- spiked, silver hair. Teal, cat-like eyes – a mix of my Mako blue and Sephiroth's green. Despite keeping my spiky hair and the same facial features, it's just not me. It's as if I'm transforming into another Sephiroth.

'_After all, you are a clone of me - Despite being an absolute failure.'_

'_I'm not a clone. I am myself.'_

'_That is the lie you've been telling yourself ever since that day-'_

'_It's not a lie!'_

Shit. This is not good. The news of Sephiroth's doings should have spread by now. And there was a WRO agent earlier, so there should be more of them here. Crap. People will be suspicious of me. No one will believe me if I say I'm Cloud Strife. I don't have any ID, and my phone is broken beyond repair. Damn it all! If the WRO find me, they'll be sure to attack.

Sephiroth laughs again. _'Time to make your world a living hell.'_

'_I'll kill you, Sephiroth.'_

'_Kill me? And how many times have you failed at that? Cloud, it is I who will kill you; constantly interfering with my plans, associating with that foolish Cetra girl…a sin punishable by death.'_

'_You're the one that deserves to die. You are so blinded by J-E-N-O-V-A'_

'_Do not speak. You have no right to speak my Mother's name. She is the real God of this world, and I am her angel. I will kill you for all the sins you have commited.'_

'_If anybody has sins, it's you! How many innocent people have you killed?'_

'_It matters not, for they are human, and all humans deserve to die by my hand. That is the judgment I will bring upon this world, for my Mother's sake. I will kill you first, and everyone you love will follow.'_

'_It's not happening.'_

Having had enough of this arguing, I head out of the bathroom. The woman is no longer standing by the doorway, and I head back inside the bedroom. The cup of hot chocolate is still there…but my Buster Sword is nowhere in sight. Sighing, I grab my shirt from beside the bed and put it on, leaving the jacket that doesn't belong to me on the bed.

I head out of the bedroom and down the wooden staircase. The noise level is high – there are many people, conversing and enjoying themselves. Reminds me of home; I wish I was there right now.

But the moment I arrive downstairs, the noise level died down considerably. These people are suspicious of me after all. I find the woman and my sword at a corner table, and I walk towards them – more than a few heads turned and whispered while I walked.

'Hey…why did you take my sword?' I greet her while taking a seat.

'I thought you'd take it and just leave as soon as you got out of the bathroom.' So she knew what I was going to do. Or maybe, she's keeping me here until the WRO arrives. Either way, I need to get out of here.

'I see.'

'I still don't think you're in any condition to go outside…' she smiles at me but her eyes are hiding something.

'I walked down here just fine. I think I'm more than okay.'

'Yeah…' she gives someone behind me a look. They were probably whispering about me. 'So…where are you from?' She's probably suspicious about me too.

'I'm from Edge.'

'Really? I heard something terrible happened there recently!' she gives me a look, gauging my reaction. The problem is, I don't know the magnitude of Sephiroth's actions. I just hope…it isn't destroyed…

'What happened?'

'You don't _know?'_ she gives me an incredulous look. She's probably more suspicious of me now, but it can't be helped. 'It was all over the news. A large portion of the city was destroyed, and lots of people were hurt.'

'_Damn!'_

'I had no idea.'

'There's more! Something happened to Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife went missing!' Something happened? _What_ happened? Why does nobody know?

'I heard about that. But, do you know anything more about Tifa?'

'I'm afraid not. The WRO only told us that _something_ has happened to Tifa. I hope it's not too bad…'

Shit. If they didn't reveal any more information, something terrible _must_ have happened. Don't tell me…she's…

'Yeah. I remember those two…they were here a couple years ago with a few other people. It was a weird group, I remember,' she chuckles. 'They were really nice people though.'

'Oh did you?' I shake myself off my negative thoughts. This girl has seen us before?

'Yeah. I remember Cloud and Tifa went into my house once, it's just over there,' she points out of the window to a house nearby. 'He really needed a snowboard, and my little brother was kind enough to give his…' I remember that. 'They looked so cute together!' she exclaims giddily. 'I hope they got together or something…'

'I see…'

'He didn't see me though; I was hiding in my room. I was too shy to say hi or anything. I mean, he was really…handsome…' I sigh inwardly.

'Uhm…okay?' She chuckles.

'Sorry, this probably doesn't interest you. What I wanted to say was that you look…sort of like him.' Wait a minute, this might get somewhere…

'D-Do I?'

'Yeah. Your hair is really cool, just like his. Except your hair is…silver. Is that even your natural hair color?'

'No,' I say truthfully, 'it's blond.'

'Oh wow! His hair is blond too!' she laughs. 'He kind of looked like a chocobo.' Not with the chocobo jokes again. Sephiroth echoes her laughter.

'Yeah…'

'Oh! And he had a really big sword with him too. Just like…yours…' she trails off. Does she suspect me to be…_me_, and not Sephiroth?

'We do, huh?' I grab the red handle and pull the giant blade towards me.

'Yeah…I remember it looked just like the one you have…' So she suspects me of being Cloud. Good. Maybe I can make my situation a little bit better. I notice her giving another mean glare towards the man behind me. I turn around to see for myself.

The man is dressed for combat. Above his thick muscles, he wears a black utility vest, filled with tactical equipment. I notice a mean-looking pistol nestled neatly against his hip, and a golden badge above his heart – he's part of the WRO. Not only that, his gold badge signifies a higher ranking of some sort. He's wearing sunglasses (which is odd in this place), but his eyebrows are obviously furrowed. He suspects me, a _lot. _

Suddenly, he gets up and leaves the building, pulling out a communication device of some sort along the way.

'That guy,' the girl starts, 'was giving you mean looks. I'm glad he left.'

'Why?' She looks around, then motions for me to lean forward.

'Truth is…' she whispers in my ear, 'people are suspicious of you.' So I was right after all.

'Because…'

'They think you're Sephiroth.' That confirms it.

'Oh.'

'Listen, I don't think you are.' She smiles at me then. 'You're too nice to be Sephiroth, and if you were him, we'd probably all be dead by now.' That was true enough. I manage a small smile. 'And…'

'And?'

'I don't want to say this cause' someone might hear but, are you…are you who I _think_ you are?' She looks at me seriously then; this is my chance.

'Yeah, it's me. Something happened to me…I don't even know how I got here.'

'Did…did _he_ do this to you?' Sephiroth did this, yeah.

'Yeah-' suddenly, an older man slams his hands onto our table.

'Who is this man?' he asks the girl.

'Father!' the girl sighs exasperatedly. 'I was just explaining to him.' She pouts.

'What, that everyone in this building suspects him to be Sephiroth?'

'Father!' Everyone in the room seems to have their attention on us now. 'Father…' she says in a more respectful tone.

'Well, it's true!' he waves his hands vigorously in front of him, before pointing a finger at me. 'Listen here, prettyboy…'

'_Prettyboy? What the hell…'_

'You stay away from my daughter!'

'Father!'

'Hell, this is my inn!'

'I'm telling you, he's not Sephiroth!'

'It doesn't matter! He's suspected, and that's going to bring trouble. He's lucky enough that I let him recover here. You best be getting out of here soon.'

'He isn't even recovered yet!'

'If he can walk, he can leave!'

'I see.' My response catches everyone off guard. If they want me to leave, then I will; the less trouble, the better. I place the Buster Sword neatly on my back, and turn to face the doorway. 'I'll leave then.'

'Wait!' cries the girl. I'm already halfway to the door when…

'This just in!' The news reporter chimes in. Everyone turns their attention to the small T.V., and the owner fumbled for the remote to increase the volume.

'We have a new development in this tragic story.'

'I wonder what they…'

'Not again…'

'More bad news?'

The general reaction of the crowd wasn't very appealing. Whatever it is that Sephiroth did, it was _bad._ What kind of havoc could he have unleashed within a week?

'WRO President Reeve Tuesti has finally decided to reveal the condition of Tifa Lockhart.'

The _condition_? She's…she's…

'I hope she's okay-'

'It's too bad that something happened to her-'

'She didn't deserve to be attacked-'

Yes. She didn't deserve to be attacked. What did she ever do to deserve this? Save the world? Run a bar? Take care of people she loves?

'_Simple,' _echoes Sephiroth's voice. _'Associate with you.'_

'_You fu-'_ My lips stop moving at the sight on the television. Tifa, with an oxygen mask above her nose, lying unconscious on the hospital bed with three attendants…

'After the attack last week, she went to the hospital in critical condition. She has remained unconscious since then...'

No. No, no, no, NO! Not again, please not again!

'As you can see…' I turn away from the television as they move to another angle around the bed. I won't look. I can't…I can't _bear_ to see her to like…like that. Not again!

Suddenly, an image flashes in my head.

_A mountain, the grey skies, a bridge…Tifa. She's…falling._

'_No!'_

_There she lay on the cruel mountain ground, unconscious. From where I stood she looked so…lifeless. Her small, childhood body sprawled on the ground, cuts and bruises and all. It was terrifying._

_Then, the image changed. There's a long flight of steps…with the familiar outline of a man at the very peak. Tifa rushes past me from behind, running up the steps two at a time. She's carrying an obscenely long sword…_

'_Tifa, no!'_

_I can't move. My body won't respond. She gets to the top, and attacks-_

_Time seems to slow, as her body flies backwards. The blood gushes out from her chest, gliding freely in the air as her body tumbles down the steps. She stops at my feet, tumbling to face me. Her eyes were gray, and cold. They were lifeless. _

_No, this isn't how it happened. She didn't…she didn't die. This is all…Sephiroth's playing with my mind!_

'You are under arrest.'

A thick muscled, heavily equipped man places a gun on my forehead. It's the man who left the inn earlier.

'Don't move a muscle,' says another man. I shift my gaze to the sides; at least ten heavily equipped WRO have entered the inn. That man must have called for backup.

'I knew you were the one,' says the owner of the inn, pulling out a shotgun from under the counter. I spot the woman I was talking with along the walls, staying away from me along with the rest of the people. She looks confused, looking from me to the television fervently. I follow her gaze.

'How did you get this picture?' asks the reporter.

'I was just docking at the coast North-West of Midgar. I came back from the Northern Continent and was on my way to Edge when everything happened,' says a man off screen.

'The man attacked?'

'Yes. I watched as he…he stole a boat from some unsuspecting fellows. Some of them were armed, but they didn't stand as a chance. With a sword as big as his, there was no way they could win. I tried my luck and took a picture, then ran away as quick as I could. I got lucky.'

'And that is your picture correct?'

'Yes.'

The small picture on the top right of the screen expands, filling the entirety of the screen. Spiked silver hair, teal eyes…a giant sword with a red hilt. It was me. Oh god.

'Well there you have it, folks. If you see this man _anywhere_, immediately contact the WRO. He is now an internationally wanted criminal.'

No, no this can't be happening! Internationally wanted criminal...it can't be! The entire WRO is hunting me down? What the hell!

Sephiroth laughs a cold laugh_. 'This is just the beginning.'_ He flashes another image.

_My vision is red. The thunder roars above and rattles the bedroom floor. There's pain in my back – I've been pushed hard against the wall. Regaining myself, I notice the woman in front of me – Tifa._

_She's taken her signature fighting stance, the fire of battle burning in her eyes. She's ready to strike – and lunges._

_I double over in my pain, clutching at my stomach. I swear I had tried to dodge…so why didn't I dodge?_

_Another punch, and then a kick. I know this is just a vision…but why does it feel like the real thing? It hurts…_

'_Who are you?' she asks me._

'_It's me, Cloud!' I cough out blood._

'_Get out of here!' What? Didn't she hear me? She lunges forward and sends another kick to my side, pushing me towards the window. My forearm stings as broken glass pierces through, and Tifa's lunging again-_

_Everything becomes a blur. When all is clear again, she's on the ground, face down. She is drenched in a pool of her own blood, and…_

_And my sword is pointing towards her. Her body still rises and falls, breathing weakly._

'_No, don't do this Sephiroth.'_

'_Me? Why, it's YOU that's doing this!'_

_No. No, no, no, stop! Why…why am I moving closer-_

'Keep walking!' yells the man behind me. Damnit, I'm going insane if this keeps up. I'm having difficulty registering whether or not this is real, or a vision that Sephiroth is playing in my head. My stomach still hurts from Tifa's attacks; was that real, or what? What's going on!

'_I told you, this is just the beginning.'_

The heavily armed men push me along the frigid snow, away from the town and towards a forest. When did I get outside?

'For an international criminal, he seems pretty weak. He's bleeding all over!'

'He didn't even put up a fight, just stood there while we beat him up. Still, it was fun.'

They're right, I _am_ bleeding. I'm forced to breathe through my mouth as the blood continues to drain from my nose.

'We're almost there now. I'm glad this'll all be over soon.'

'Hmm. I wonder what President Tuesti has in store for him? I mean, he attacked Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart didn't he? Weren't they all good friends?'

Yes, we were all friends. But I didn't attack Tifa. It was Sephiroth! Sephiroth did it!

'Here we are.'

Finally, we reach the other side of the forest.

It was a vast expanse of snow, with no trees or mountains in sight for miles. The sky was clear and blue, and the wind actually felt nice. The snow here did not seem so cold as I fell to the ground after a push. No, the calm weather was not the surprising thing here. What was surprising, were the multitude of trucks, lights, armed men, and guns. How many men were there? A hundred? Two hundred?

'Time to go, buddy.'

Two men grab me by the arms and drag me towards the small army of WRO troops, while three heavily armed helicopters make an appearance above. Sephiroth's maniacal laughter echoes through my head.

Damn. I can't…I can't get captured! They might take me to their base and then...if Sephiroth takes over, he'll kill everybody there! I should have just taken my sword by force earlier and ran for it! I…I need to isolate myself from _everyone_ and deal with Sephiroth on my own!

'_You are too weak.'_

'Don't try anything. We won't hesitate to kill you,' a man points a gun to my head as they continue to drag me.

Damn, if I do anything, they most likely WILL shoot me. I can't die – that would also be part of Sephiroth's plan. And, I need to see everyone…Denzel , Marlene…my friends…_Tifa…_I _can't_ die now!

'_Well then, what will you do?'_

xxxxx

Chapter 13 – End

Alright, that was longer than my usual chapters. You all waited a month though, so you all deserve some extra details and drama and whatnot. Haha.

I hope Cloud's cursing didn't turn anyone away from this story. This is likely to be the only chapter with cursing (from Cloud) anyway. I'm not sure if I should change the rating just for cursing in this one chapter, can someone please let me know? :S

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Shoutouts to the usual reviewers – you know who you are! Your constant reviews keep me going, and I always love getting feedback from you.

I also have some new reviewers to thank : **Teegirl **and **My Whispers In The Dark.** Thanks for reading and reviewing, I hope you continue to do so!


	14. Beasts

Transformations – Beasts

'_Ugh…'_

'_Cloud, are you okay?' The voice is distant, but the worry in her tone is clear._

'_Cloud! Please be okay…'my hand is suddenly warm as it makes contact with another. I didn't realize I was so cold._

'_Cloud…' the voice is clearer now. It's my mother's._

'_Mom…'_

_More warmth enters around my face; she's hugging me tightly._

'_Oh Cloud! You're okay…don't ever scare me like that again.'_

_My body hurts all over. Opening my eyes is painful. I can feel the scrapes on my knees and my side as I try to move around a little bit._

'_Now now, take it easy,' says an older male voice. 'You need to rest more before I can allow you to move.' It's definitely the doctor. Feeling no reason to complain, I make myself more comfortable and pull the sheets closer for warmth. It scraped against my knees a bit, but it's all right. Someone's in worse condition than I am. Someone…_

'…_how is she?' I croak out._

'_She's all right sweetie.'_

'_But…where?'_

'_She's right here,' says the doctor. 'Right next to you.'_

_The images flash in my head, a painful recollection of what took place just hours ago. _

_She just kept on walking…kept walking up the mountain. I tried to catch up, call her name – nothing. All I was ever able to see was her back. Just as I always have._

_But I tried. I tried to catch up. Unlike last time…where I just watched her play with her friends – friends that didn't try to stop her from doing this. _

_But she's crossing the bridge now. It's a bit dangerous…I've got to run._

'_Hey! You shouldn't do that!' I cry out, stumbling over little jagged stones. I'm catching up, but she's almost halfway through the bridge._

'_Wait! That's dangerous!' The bridge sways some more. A noise, a tearing noise! Two hearts that skipped a beat. The next moment, we were falling._

_But I tried. I tried to catch up. I tried to save her. But, as always, all I could ever see was her back; her back, on the ground, lying unconscious. I had crawled towards her, using the rest of my energy._

'_Hey…hey…' I moved her shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. But it was no use._

'_Wait…hey…!' No. She can't be…gone. No, she can't be gone. She's not gone! No!_

'_Wake up…'_

'_Wake up…'_

'_Wake up!' _

_She didn't move. Not a stir. I wasn't sure if she was even breathing. And suddenly, I lost my breath as well. Not from exhaustion, but from the tears that were suddenly falling. I had failed._

_I don't have many friends. It's not that I'm not friendly…well actually, it is that. I always get into fights, especially with her friends. I mean, I just don't _like_ them. But she was different from them. Maybe that's why I don't like her friends; they're so different from her. Even though we didn't talk much, she was definitely the nicest person I ever met. Next to my mom. They were my only real friends._

_But now, I lost her. She's lying on the ground, unconscious, not breathing, and hurt. And it's all my fault. I tried to save her…but I couldn't. What can a silly nine year old like me do anyway? _

_Oh yeah, I can cry. Just like I'm doing now, letting my tears fall on her face. Maybe, just maybe, my tears will wake her up. Maybe…_

_But the visions end, and I'm suddenly back in the hospital bed. Everything is crystal clear now._

'_TIFA!' The pain is sharp and almost unbearable, but I try anyway. Recovering quickly from a fall to the floor, I take two strides to the bed next to mine. My hopes were up, but when I saw her, they came crashing back down._

_To put it simply, she's in terrible condition. She's bandaged everywhere, and her skin is awfully white. _

'_Cloud…'_

'_Sit back down at least, Cloud. She'll be alright, don't you worry about her…'_

'_It's all my fault.' Both the doctor and my mother stopped at once._

'_Sweetie…none of this is your fault, okay?' My mother lowers herself to my level and cups my chin._

'_But-'_

'_OF COURSE IT WAS HIS FAULT,' roars a thunderous voice. The door swung open violently, revealing a tall, dark haired man. 'GET AWAY FROM MY LITTLE GIRL!'_

_I don't budge._

'_Mr. Lockhart!' cries my mother, reaching for the angry man's arm. He swats it away swiftly, hurting my mother in the process. This made me angry, but I prevented myself from doing anything stupid. _

'_I SAID MOVE IT, KID!'_

'_No-' and I'm on the ground. I reach for the right side of my face, now radiating in pain. The noises – the shouting, yelling, and calling of help – seem to fade away. If I had tears to cry, they would be running down my face. But I had run out of tears already. Instead, I moved towards anger – seething, teeth-gritting anger that shook my bones. _

_Yes, yes! I had tried! I had tried my best to stop her! To save her! I didn't deserve to get punched. My mom didn't deserve that disrespect. And Tifa doesn't deserve to be lying in bed while I'm up and about. Ms. Lockhart didn't deserve to die either! _

_I was becoming angrier – less angry at myself, and more angry at the world (and Mr. Lockhart). The noise level hit me like a heavy stone, and I was suddenly aware. Mr. Lockhart was being pushed away by some of the hospital staff, while my mother was confused and crying._

'_IT'S ALL THAT KID'S FAULT-'_

'_Cloud didn't do anything wrong! He…he t-tried to help your daught-'_

'_SHUT UP!'_

_And I had snapped. I bolted towards the man, and kicked him hard in the shins. Another kick, and another. He screamed in pain, yes, but it wasn't enough for me. I was simply too angry. It won't be long before they try to stop me as well, which shouldn't be too hard for them. I managed to get off one more kick before they managed to restrain me as well._

'_You son of a bit-'_

'_I did nothing wrong!' I interrupted as he limped his way out of the room. 'I tried to save her! And my mother did nothing wrong either. Don't take this out on us-'_

'_SHUT UP! I never want to see your face ever again, kid! If you get near my little girl I swear on this Planet I will kill yo-' and the door closed shut._

_xxxxx_

I woke with a start. I'm always doing that these days. It's been nearly a week since my last major encounter with the WRO – when I almost got arrested. I've been running ever since, always on edge. It's a new and challenging experience for me.

While I've been on edge many times before, sleeping in the wilderness and whatnot when we were _all_ still together and adventuring, this time is a bit different. Back then, I wasn't an internationally wanted criminal. Back then, I only had to worry about weak little monsters, occasionally meeting a tough opponent. Unlike now, where heavily armed WRO troops and civilians are the on the lookout for me. Back then, I had many blades that I could fight with. Now, I only have one, and I can't fight back fully. Sephiroth was just an overly powerful entity back then. I could cut him down. Now, he is a part of me, interfering with – and sometimes controlling – my thoughts and actions. But there is one thing, above all else, that's changed.

Back then, she was with me.

She was always with me.

To watch my back

To support me

To care for me

To be there for me - _with_ me - through it all.

And now, where is she? An entire continent away, recovering from wounds that _I_ gave her.

'_Tifa…I'll be there soon.'_

'_Will you now?' _Shit, he's back. _'I am never leaving, Cloud.'_

'_You will. I'll make you.'_

'_I'd like to see you try.'_

Whatever. I said I'll do it, so it's gonna happen. Even if it's the last thing I do. I'll kill Sephiroth for everything he's done.

'_Hmph.'_

xxxxx

I've made good time in the past week. I've only been able to travel on foot, but I've already made it near the Forgotten Capital. The snow is barely a thin layer where I am now; once I reach the Ancient City, there won't be any snow at all; then I can cover twice as much distance in a shorter span of time.

Everyday has been (for the most part) the same since I became a suspect. Run and hide. Hunt for food. Avoid as many people as possible. _Fight only if necessary. Kill if necessary._ I'm glad I haven't had to follow that last rule. I've killed enough innocent people in my time.

But now isn't the time to revisit those dark waters. I've got enough problems to worry about right now. Like being an international criminal, and housing the most feared killer on the Planet in my mind somewhere. Yeah, those kind of problems.

The snow thins even as I walk towards the south.

'I just have to keep walking.'

Run

Hunt

Hide

Repeat

xxxxx

'_Cloud, come here!' _

_Shit, she has that tone in her voice. I might in a bit of trouble._

'_What?'_

'_Come here!' she calls from upstairs. Sigh._

'_I'm coming mom…'_

_She puts her hands on her hips, the way she always does when something's not right._

'_Cloud, can you explain this?' She points inside the door to my room._

_As expected, it's an absolute mess. Not the usual, disorganized bedroom of a 13 year old boy. No, my room is disorganized, messy, stuffy, and dirty. I don't even know where my own bed is due to the sheer amount of clothes sprawled everywhere. _

'_Uh...'_

'_Is this why you've been sleeping in the living room for since last week?'_

'_Uh…'_

'_Cloud.'_

'_Yeah?' I take a chance and smile at her. Expectedly, it doesn't work._

'_Cloud, I want this room clean. And by clean, I mean REALLY clean. Okay?'_

'_Yeah, yeah…'_

'_You can't go out with your friends until you get it done.'_

'_Alright.' She looks at me, somewhat confused. _

'…_Good.' She turns around and heads back downstairs. I guess she wasn't expecting me to agree. _

_I head inside my bedroom – careful not to trip over anything – and get to work right away. Truthfully, there is a reason why I'm doing this._

_I have no friends. Acquaintances, I have. But friends, I don't. Doing things on my own has worked out best for me. Alone, nobody can bother you. Alone, nobody can bring you down. If you do things alone, you don't have to worry about anyone else._

_Sighing, I heave the pile of clothing into my laundry basket. There's still more clothing. Now that I think about it, the amount of dirty clothing I have is a bit disgusting. Ok, that's really disgusting. _

'_Maybe I should clean my room more…' I'll keep that in ._

_After two trips downstairs (I filled my basket twice with dirty clothing) my room was suddenly more spacious. Much more spacious actually. I can actually walk around without having to worry. The only thing left to really worry about is all the random stuff lying around. Beside my bed lies an old action figure, used only for display now. Beside my dresser lies a calendar. I bend down to pick it up._

_It's an old calendar…from five years ago actually. I don't know why I still have this..or why it's even here. Strange. Taking the calendar, I sit on my bed and flip through its pages. Back then, I used to mark all of the important dates. I used to be an excited kid back then, always looking forward to things. Now…_

_February…March…April...May? Strange, there's only one date that I circled here. The 23__rd__…what happened on the 23__rd__?_

_Not remembering, I head downstairs to see my mother. Maybe she'll give me something for cleaning my room so well._

'_Is your room clean, sweetie?'_

'_It is. And can you please stop calling me that? I'm almost 14.' She laughs._

'_Sure thing, sweetie.' Sigh._

'_By the way, what's the date today?'_

'_Today? It's…the 22__nd__. May 22__nd__. Why do you ask?'_

'_Nothing…'_

'_Did you get her something?' she smiles slyly at me. What?_

'_Huh?'_

'_It's okay Cloud, you can tell me.'_

'_Tell you what?' She rolls her eyes at me._

'_You know. The gift you got for Tifa.'_

'_Wait…what?'_

'_Cloud…it's her birthday tomorrow.' Oh. Shit. 'Did you forget?'_

'_Uhm…no, I didn't forget.'_

'_Well, what did you get her?' She folds her arms, smiling expectedly. _

'_Nothi- I mean…don't worry…about it,' I said while turning away. I bolt upstairs, now having to deal with another problem._

_Quite frankly, I'm screwed. I've always gotten Tifa a gift, even though her dad absolutely hates me. It was one of the only ways I could talk to her without her dad throwing a death glare at me. I probably only get to talk to her once in a month, and it's usually very brief. I haven't been able to talk to her at all lately, let alone see her. _

_And now, I'm broke, with no gift to give. What the hell am I supposed to do?_

_Sighing, I sit down on my bed. What to do…what to do…_

_Nothing._

_The hours passed quickly. I wanted to talk to her, even seeing her would make me happy. I went outside and just waited by my porch, pretending to be reading but secretly on the lookout. Nothing. I didn't even see her dad. Where could she be? Did they…leave?_

_And that thought alone, kept me depressed for the rest of the day. Tifa couldn't have left…_

'_Of course she didn't leave, silly!' my mother says incredulously at the dinner table. 'If they left, someone in town would know, right?'_

'_I guess.'_

_After dinner, I waited outside again. She didn't show. I actually ended up reading part of my book before I decided to do something else. It was getting dark; perfect for my mood._

_Not feeling tired at all, I headed into my backyard. The stars were starting to show, and the moon was starting to glow brighter. I lay on the trimmed grass, admiring the vastness of the sky. Somehow, I kept thinking about Tifa. Where could she be? Is she ever coming back? Can she see the sky…_

_I might have ended up taking a nap. When I awoke, the moon was well above my head and shining bright. The crickets were making their nighttime noises as the unmoving stars sparkled. I checked my watch…it was almost midnight._

'_Cloud,' my mom calls from nowhere, 'come in soon okay?'_

'_Yeah.'_

_It's nice…just lying here. No one to bother you. I don't even remember why I'm here…_

'_Aren't you cold? It's windy out.' Yeah, it's a bit chilly now that I think about it. Wait a minute…. I rub my eyes a bit, making sure I'm not seeing things._

'_T-Tifa? What are you-' she puts a hand on my mouth, distracting me in about a thousand ways._

'_Shh! You're not very good at being quiet, are you?' She whispers._

'_Sorry,' I whisper back. She smiles at me then, and I have no idea what to say._

'_Tifa…your dad…'_

'_Won't find out, right? Her eyes glow._

'_N-No…he won't.' I swallow empty air, not really knowing what to say. 'Um…why are you here?' She looks taken aback, but I can tell she's just playing._

'_Why not?'_

'_Uh…' I scratch my head and she giggles._

'_Cloud, I haven't talked to you in months!' she grins. 'I mean, we're neighbors but I never even see you!'_

'_Yeah…' She gives me a look._

'_Come on Cloud, let's talk! I miss the sound of your voice…' What?_

'_I uh…miss you too?' Her smile returns and she lays down on the grass. I join her, making sure to keep my distance. This is a strange feeling. I suddenly feel more…anxious and careful. Nervous even._

_Shit. I don't have a gift. That's why I was here in the first place. To apologize to her._

'_Hey, Tifa…' I say while sitting up. She does the same, looking confused?_

'_Yeah?'_

'_Sorry.' She looks at me like I'm weird._

'_I just got here and you're already saying sorry. You didn't do anything you know!' she laughs quietly._

'_No it's not…I didn't get you a gift.' She smiles at me._

'_Cloud, forget about it okay?' she sits up, and I sit up as well._

'_But…'_

'_Let's just talk!' she whispers loudly, letting herself fall onto the grass. _

'_Okay.'_

_xxxxx_

What the hell was that? That was a good dream…I mean, it was more like a memory. But…how? I don't have good dreams. I haven't had them in over a week. With Sephiroth in my mind, there's no way I could be having good dreams. Something's not right here…

A sudden pain, and I'm on the ground breathing heavily. My insides are screaming, and I swear I was going to throw up. But nothing's coming out. Unknowingly, I scream in pain. Wings of black take flight from the trees, fleeing the painful squeals I'm giving out. It hurts so bad…

'What was that!' yells an unknown man. I can faintly hear footsteps…_ many_ footsteps.

'Is anyone there-' the group of men stop dead in their tracks when they notice me. 'Well well…'

Shit. Setting the pain aside, I get up to run. But instead, I find myself gripping my blade tightly, and not running at all.

'Not gonna run huh?' taunts one of the men. In sync, the men point their rifles at me.

'_Run damnit! Why won't I run?'_ On cue, my legs begin to move. But I'm moving the wrong way.

'Open fire!'

What. The Hell. Steel meets steel as I block all of their bullets with the flat of my Buster. They all take a step back as I prepare the first swing. This isn't what I wanted to do!

'GRAAAAAH!' And I slice one of the rifles in half. Instinctively, the soldier throws it at me, but I'm quick to dodge. My insides are still screaming in pain. As if some sort of a parasite is eating away at me. It almost feels like Geostigma.

Two more WRO soldiers take a swing at me with the brunt of their rifles. I dodge them both, and dash back a good distance while fending off steel slugs. One of them grazes my arm, and I swear it's not supposed to hurt that much. The pain throughout my body multiplies, yet I'm unable to scream.

_He's _doing this. This is all _Sephiroth_, the bastard he is.

'Go! Go! Go!' the group of men chase after me with surprising speed. They shouldn't be able to catch up…but they do. Have I gotten slower?

I duck down to dodge another heavy swing, but I can't dodge the bullets. A couple of them hit me straight in the chest, and I lost my breath for a moment. The group hesitates – surprised that they actually got me – before moving in.

'Remember, we need him alive.'

'Roger-' with surprising force I swing the Buster, sending streaks of blood into the air. Three of them staggered backwards, holding onto their midsections. They managed to dodge, but not fully.

'What the hell? He took two bullets-' another swing. This time, the other three men stepped in front of their injured comrades and blocked my swing with their rifles. I could feel their struggle under the overwhelming strength starting to surge. Sephiroth is taking control even more. Eventually their rifles crack, and they push me backwards with a unified force.

'Fall back-' too late for them. In a single, animalistic swing, I destroyed their rifles. Looking into their eyes I can see the all too familiar feeling – fear.

'R-Run!' the men cry as they turn around for their lives. They're not nearly fast enough. I catch the one furthest behind by the vest, and hurl him to the ground.

'Sp-spare me p-please!' I want to. I want to let him live. I know that in my heart. But my mind is not the same.

'_Kill him, kill him.'_

'_No!'_

'_Do it!'_

I swing down heavily, closing my eyes.

A sound, a spark! Something powerful hits my sword from the side, making me miss. My sword strikes the ground, and I heave to get it back up.

Bang, bang, bang. Three simultaneous shots speed their way towards me. Only by instinct did I manage to dodge. But I wasn't prepared for the next three bullets at all. They hit me hard in my right side, three bullets almost the size of a shotgun slug.

And suddenly, I could feel my own body. It was painful, but a different kind of pain. This kind of pain hurt from the outside, not the inside. I clench my fist, testing my ability to control. My knuckles crack while gripping my Buster. I'm definitely in control.

_A cold laugh._ Sephiroth let me take control for a reason.

Bang, bang, bang. Another three bullets wheeze by me. I've gotta run.

Gripping my side – which is bleeding a lot now – I run as quick as I could. The same large bullets keep coming at me from all sides. Where are they coming from? My senses adjust – to the familiar high level that they should be – and I'm able to block all incoming bullets.

The rate of fire starts to slow down a bit – no doubt the attacker is surprised – then it increases dramatically. I almost stumbled while jumping from tree to tree since I was whirling around so much, keeping my defenses up.

I raise my blade to block once more, but nothing comes. In fact, my senses don't even feel a presence around me anymore. As if the attacker simply…disappeared.

'What the hell?'

I drop down to the dirt below. I've arrived at the Forgotten City. The vast expanse of glowing white trees surround me, their intense light almost like a fog. It's the most beautiful thing I've seen in over a week.

Still on my guard, I dash through the trees for another minute or so. My senses are still on high alert, but I can't pick up any presence. It's strange. How can an enemy simply disappear, just like that? Am I going crazy?

But my gut tells me that I'm not crazy. That I'm safe, for now. Strange as it is, I find a comfortable spot on the ground and attempt to tend my wounds. The only sounds come from the swaying of trees and the rippling of a small pond nearby.

I'm bleeding pretty badly. The wounds on my chest have stopped bleeding, but the wounds on my side are bleeding profusely. As I cover it with my hands I can feel the blood just pouring out. If this keeps up, I'll probably die. And I don't want that.

Ignoring all laws of decency, I remove my shirt and tear it into long strips. I wrap it around the gash on my right side. I'm always getting hurt there. Within moments, the strips of white cloth turn a dark reddish color, and droplets of blood start dripping. This isn't going to work. I undo the makeshift bandage and head to the nearby pond, spraying water at my wounds.

To put it bluntly, it stings like a bitch. The water doesn't help at all. Though my wound is a little bit cleaner, I've lost too much blood already. I'm finding it difficult to concentrate, and my vision starts to blur. I make my way back to my blade, hoping beyond hope that something would come help me. I rewrap the washed bandages around my wound again – even more sloppy this time – and lean on the hilt of my blade for balance.

I'm going to make it.

'_No, you won't.'_

And I fall to the ground.

xxxxx

'_Sorry I'm late.'_

_Huh? Where am I?_

'_Cloud?' something warm touches my right side, where my wound should be. I don't feel any pain. 'Cloud.'_

_This can't be real. Why is she…how is she here?_

'_Tifa?' she smiles at me, her face awfully close, still holding my supposed to be wounded right side. 'Tifa, I-'_

'_I know, Cloud.' She continues to smile at me, and points to the sky. 'Remember.' And she winks at me before fading away._

_Our promise. I remember. I can't die…not yet…_

xxxxx

And the first thing I see is the midnight sky. So many stars, unmoving and ever-glowing.

The second thing I notice is me. The pain is still there, but the bleeding has stopped. My vision is slightly blue, and I look to my hands. My entire body is engulfed in blue energy, empowering me.

'_Cloud, you are truly interesting. You have harnessed the mako in your body to a very high level.'_

'_Sephiroth?' _A cold laugh, and I feel my mind starting to change. He's taking over again.

I can almost feel the atmosphere changing as many WRO soldiers arrive in the clearing. I can see their reflections – heavily armored black figures – from the flat side of my Buster Sword. All the while, my vision turns to a dark blue, and I can feel the mako energy raging uncontrollably. My heart is racing, my fists clenching, my teeth gritting, and I know Sephiroth wants to kill. For the moment I can do nothing but observe. The events of today have worn out my mind. But a familiar gut feeling tells me that something is different. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

And I charge, not bothering to pick up my blade. Like an animal, I twist and turn, jump and duck, dodging their bullets as I get closer and closer. Eventually they all enter close combat formation, and pull out thick blades of obsidian.

My fists and feet break through them with ease. One by one, they go flying back as Sephiroth takes advantage of my survival instincts. There are many of them, but the way Sephiroth is relentlessly attacking, this shouldn't be a problem. With or without a blade.

And out of the blue, the presence from earlier returns. Three bullets plant with powerful impact onto the ground where I was a moment ago, and the WRO troops back off instinctively. I dash backwards a good distance as usual, searching for the unknown attacker.

And like a demon he appears, graceful and frightening in his blood-red cloak. He holds up a hand, and all of the troops stand down to observe.

I could feel Sephiroth's surprise, and I smile. This man could be the end of me. Or he could be the end of Sephiroth controlling me. I couldn't have asked for a better, _or worse,_ person to appear at a time like this.

The mako engulfing my body surges, along with my animalistic instincts. As Sephiroth gathers more of my mako energy, I regain partial control of my body.

'Cloud,' the man says. 'Tifa is waiting for you to come back.'

Thank Gaia, he knows it's me!

'Vincent, I'm counting on you!'

He nods as I'm pushed back to the observatory recesses of my mind, and we both charge.

xxxxx

Chapter 14 - End

Hey guys, I'm back!

I know it's been a while…over two months…since I last updated. I hope I haven't lost your interest in this story, because I meant it when I said I plan on finishing this.

Anyways, here's what's been going on lately:  
I started writing another story for FF VII. I got carried away and ended up writing and editing and on and on for over a month, meanwhile this chapter was sitting unfinished in my computer. It wasn't until I got an email from FanFiction that I remembered I should update. It seemed like a short time, but it was actually two months and I was honestly shocked that I was away for that long.

So truly, I am sorry for the long delay. I have done enough work on the other story so far (which will not be posted on the site for a while) but I can guarantee that this story will be taking more priority and the next update DEFINITELY won't take longer than a month.

If it does take longer, you can take over my body and make me an internationally wanted criminal.

Peace and love, J-Z-B


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